


Strays

by Shuichi77



Category: Loveless
Genre: Angst, Drama, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-02-04
Updated: 2014-02-12
Packaged: 2017-11-28 04:43:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 46
Words: 148,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/670405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shuichi77/pseuds/Shuichi77
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ritsuka and Soubi are having some issues. So Ritsuka spends some time with some old friends...but he had no idea that it would turn his entire life upside down.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prolouge

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own loveless in any way shape or form and make no profit from my works.

'I always pick up the strays….'

That's all I could think of as I lay there on damp ground, bloodied and bruised to hell.

I knew that that little boy would only bring trouble, and she told me over and over again that I would pay for it in the end…I should have listened. Then all I could think of was what the hell she was gonna think when I showed up at home like this. Then every thing started to go black…. And she was all I was thinking of…

"Kouya… Gomen…"


	2. Living Arrangements

When I woke up I found myself safely back in my bed. I had forgotten for a moment what had taken place the past night. Then I felt the very sharp pain in my stomach and around my neck, and I could feel the small bandages on my face, which was all the reminder I needed. Then I heard that soothing familiar voice calling to me.

"Yamato? Are you awake?"

"Yes."

I turned slightly (only a little because it hurt to do so) so that I could see my lover standing in the doorway of our room. Then my heart ached (and I was a little scared) when I saw how angry she looked.

"I told you that boy was nothing but trouble! What the hell happened?! I was worried sick!"

"I know. I'm so sorry …I didn't mean to make you worry. And it was really nothing, I just had an…argument with Soubi-san…"

….

I think I'm getting a little ahead of myself, let me explain:

I was taking an evening walk through the park about a week ago. It was a beautiful night and I was rather enjoying my walk, but then I heard a small noise, I couldn't really make out what it was so I decided to try and get a little closer. As I followed the sound, it became clearer and clearer. I was about 20 feet away from the source when I could finally make out what it was….it was crying, of a young boy it sounded like. Then I turned a corner in the path and saw a small cat-eared boy sitting on a bench underneath a small light in the park. As I got closer I realized it was Ritsuka-kun! He looked so sad and upset (well duh! He is crying) so I couldn't help but to go see what was wrong, and after all, Kouya and I had quit working for sensei so what harm could it do? So,

I slowly walked over to the small boy, who had his face buried in his hands now.

"Ritsuka-kun?"

The boy jumped as I spoke, I must have scared him.

"W-who are you?! Go away!"

Then he turned away from me, as if that would make me go away, and continued to sob into his hands.

"Ritsuka…what's wrong?"

"Its none of your business! Go away!"

I then went over to the bench and sat next to him. I really wanted to know what was wrong. Seeing him cry like that made my heart hurt.

"Ritsuka…please tell what is wrong. It helps to talk about it. Did you and Soubi-san have a fight?"

This only made Ritsuka cry harder. I think it made him so distraught that he didn't even care who I was, because he turned to me and fell into me. I put my arms around him and let him cry as much as he needed to. Once he was done hard crying, he pulled away from me and wiped his face.

" …Um…thanks…"

"Of course Ritsuka-kun. Now! Tell me what is the matter"

He hesitated for a moment, then slowly began to speak:

" Well… me and Soubi had a fight."

" I thought so. What did you two fight about?"

"Umm…nothing. I don't really want to talk about it…"

"Hmm, ok Ritsuka-kun. Well do you feel better now?"

"Yeah…a little bit."

"Good! Now, why don't you go on home now."

He then slid down the bench away from me a little bit, and looked down at his feet.

"Well, I actually don't really have a home anymore. My mother kicked me out after she heard us yelling and found out that Soubi was in my room with me. And I don't want to live with Soubi and his stupid room-mate"

I felt so sorry for him. I mean, he is only 14, a 14-year-old cant live out on his own. So I did the only thing I could think of:

"Well…if you would like Ritsuka-kun, you can stay with me and Kouya for a while. I'm sure she wouldn't mind havin' you. And we have an extra room. And you could stay till you figure where you are gonna live."

Ritsuka simply turned to me and smiled a very cute little smile. Then he slid back down the bench and gave me a gentle hug:

"Thank you so much Yamato!"

We then walked back to the, rather large, apartment Kouya and I shared. And apparently I had miss-judged how Kouya would react, because when we got there…she was none too pleased. She was furious actually. She knew that this would only bring trouble, and she made sure that I knew how she felt. For that entire week she was very cold to me, and completely ignored Ritsuka. Also during that week, Ritsuka never called or spoke to Soubi-san, not even once. I'm sure Soubi was worried about him, I knew how much they cared for each other but it was obvious that Ritsuka was still upset with Soubi, so I didn't bother to say anything about it.

Everything was going rather fine until last night:

Ritsuka and I were taking a walk through the park just enjoying the night. But as we were leaving, Soubi was standing there at the end of the path. He looked shocked, ecstatic, and angry all at the same time.

"Ritsuka!" where the hell have you been! I've been so worried! I've been looking everywhere for you!"

Ritsuka walked right up to where Soubi was standing and told him what was going on (in a rather cold tone of voice):

"Well Soubi, I've been living with Yamato and Kouya."

Soubi just stood there, silent. I couldn't tell if his expression was more hurt or pissed off. That was, till it changed. His expression was pure anger.

"So, you can live with the fucking zero's but not with me! What the hell is your problem!? Why is the idea of living with me so bad that you would rather live with  _them_  then me?! What the hell did I do to deserve that?"

"Soubi, I'm sorry, but we have been over this already: I don't want to live with you right now. Why cant you just let that be? Besides, I'm only living with them until mom lets me back."

I was getting a little concerned about how angry Soubi was getting. Although I know that he was only acting so angry because he was hurt very bad, and that made me feel horrible. I feel so bad because I feel like I was the cause of all this, but I couldn't have just left him there. So being the idiot I am, I decided to try and intervene:

"Umm…Ritsuka-kun…maybe we should go home now…"

I later found out that that was a very, very bad thing to say.

"GO  _HOME_!? Oh no! Ritsuka isn't going anywhere with  _you_! He will come home with me!"

"That's fine Soubi, but only if that's what Ritsuka-kun wants to do. It's his choice"

Also, a very bad thing to say.

"Ritsuka…come along on now. You are going to go home with  _me_. And stay away from them!"

"Soubi! You are not my master! I will go where I want, and you will be happy with that. Now, I am going back with Yamato, and once I'm done being pissed at you, I might call you…that's an order! " (for some reason that last part made Soubi silent and still for a moment)

And with that Ritsuka turned his back to Soubi (bad idea) and started to walk toward me. As we started to walk back, I suddenly felt a very sharp pain in my stomach (I didn't even see where the hell he came from!) that made me fall to the ground. Soubi had kicked me! I was in shock more than anything; I had never seen Soubi be physically violent. I was on my hands and knees coughing blood onto the pavement, when Soubi kicked me over onto my side, then put his large hand around my neck and lifted me to his eye level.

" If you ever go anywhere near Ritsuka ever again…ill kill you!"

He then dropped me on the ground, and turned away from me. That's all I could remember before everything went dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well well let me first say thank you to anyone who has read this far lol. I also apologize for the shortness of this chapter and the next two and i also apologize for the random shift of POV that my story makes. I started this story a while ago and picked it back up at a later point when I was much better at writing.   
> Thanks again for reading! ^_^


	3. Escape

So now, here I am: beat the hell up, with Kouya pissed at me. But luckily she wasn't as angry right now because I was hurt.

So , after she was done telling me how right she was, she finally sat down on the bed with me, and stroked my hair.

"Yamato, ill be right back. I'm going to make you some tea."

I simply nodded in reply. But before I knew it, I realized how exhausted I was, and I slipped into sleep.

Meanwhile….

"Good morning ritsuka"

"Go away Soubi! I don't wanna talk to you!"

"Come now, I'm sure you're hungry, don't you want some breakfast?"

Ritsuka just rolled over in his bed and slammed a pillow over head. He was still quite angry with Soubi for dragging him to this apartment. Not to mention for what he did to Yamato. Ritsuka was so frustrated that Soubi couldn't understand that he had reasons for not wanting to live with him. It wasn't that he had anything against Soubi; he was actually learning to like him a lot. He just…had his reasons.

Finally after a little while Soubi announced to Ritsuka that he was going to the store and that he would be back in a little while. Ritsuka was very relieved that he would have a little freedom, seeing as Soubi had him locked in his room all day.

Keeping mind not to wake Kio (yeah he is still sleeping….lazy) Ritsuka carefully went down stairs and grabbed his cell phone off the kitchen counter, which Soubi had taken earlier. As soon as he had it, he quickly returned to his room. The first thing he did was call Yamato; but unfortunately, it was Kouya that answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Yamato?"

"Nope Kouya. Who's calling?"

"Um…its Ritsuka"

"Oh really! Well what the hell do you want?!"

"May I please speak to Yamato?"

"No, she is asleep."

"Oh, well… Kouya I'm really sorry! I didn't think he would do anything like that, honest! Is she ok?"

"Yeah, yeah. Well she is doing better. But what do you want anyway?"

"Well, I was actually wondering if I could come back?"

"Why in the world should I let you back?!"

"Please Kouya? I can't stay here with Soubi!"

Kouya could hear Ritsuka start to sob.

* **s** **igh***  "Fine…but you keep Soubi away from Yamato! If he has a problem he can take it up with me!"

"Thank you so much Kouya"

As soon as he hung up, Ritsuka very quickly gathered up a few things and crept slowly out of the bedroom door. He was trying to be as quite as he could, and he thought he heard Kio wake up so he froze. Luckily it was nothing so he continued down the hallway and towards the front door. Ritsuka was relieved when he had successfully made it out the front door; but his sense of triumph was cut short when walked out of the gate to see Soubi standing in front of him.

**TBC**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK! POV shift coming, sorry again. Forgive me. ~_~


	4. Confessions

"S-Soubi…"

"Ritsuka!"

Before the young boy could say anything else, he pushed Soubi as hard as he could and bolted down the sidewalk. Soubi, quickly recovered from his stumble and ran after his young sacrifice.

"Ritsuka! Stop! Where do you think your going?!"

"Leave me alone Soubi! I don't wanna be anywhere near you!"

Those were the last words between the two as they ran down the street. As Ritsuka was turned a corner, he realized that he had greatly underestimated how close Soubi was as he felt his feet being taken down from underneath him.

"Soubi! Let me go!"

Ritsuka continued trying to free him self from Soubi's grasp but to no avail.

"No! Why are you trying to run away!?"

"Because you're acting crazy Soubi! You cant just keep me locked up like a damn animal!"

"I wouldn't have to if you would just stay with me"

"No! How many times do I have to tell you!?"

"But why Ritsuka?"

After continued struggling, the small boy finally revealed his reasons:

"Because damn it… ALL YOU WANT IS TO TAKE MY EARS! THAT'S ALL YOU CARE ABOUT! YOU DON'T EVEN LOVE ME!"

Crying now, the boy finally got himself lose by kicking Soubi harshly in the face. Ritsuka then quickly got up and began running as fast as he could. Soubi, too shocked and hurt to move, just lay there on the sidewalk bleeding and watching his precious lover run away into the distance.

"H-he thinks I don't love him…?"

Soubi then slowly got up and walked down the street with silent soft tears filling up his eyes.

 

 

After about an hour Ritsuka was sure that Soubi wasn't following him and he finally started heading toward the zero girls place. After about twenty minutes, he arrived, made his way to the door and rang the bell.

"Coming!"

As the door opened Ritsuka quickly realized that it was Yamato who opened the door. At the sight of her bruises and bandages (Soubi hit her a couple more times after she passed out). Ritsuka was so over-whelmed that he fell to his knees in tears right on their doorstep. Yamato couldn't help but to fall to her knees as well and wrap her arms around the boy in an attemopt to console him.

Finally through all the sobs and tears, Ritsuka managed to choke out the words.

"Yamato… I-I'm so sorry! I didn't want any of this to happen… especially to you. Im sorry…"

"Hush now Ritsuka. You shouldn't worry about me. You need to worry about yourself, and you might wanna worry about Soubi if Kouya ever gets a hold of him."

That finally drew a small smile out of the young boy.

" Now come on Ritsuka, lets go inside. Kouya made diner!"

 

Meanwhile…Soubi had just now arrived home after taking a long walk to clear his head.

"Hi Soubi. Where you been?"

Soubi said nothing as he walked past his roommate sitting on the small couch.

"Soubi?"

"Shut up Kio"

"Huh? What are you pissed for?"

"Because…YOU let Ritsuka get away!"

"What?! I was asleep, I didn't even hear the little brat!"

Soubi froze right where he was, but only for a second before he calmly walked over to Kio and calmly…punched him in the stomach. Kio quickly fell to the floor coughing before looking up directly into Soubi's angry eyes.

"Don't…ever…call Ritsuka that ever again. Got it?!"

Kio just nodded as Soubi walked away. Soubi walked up the stairs and into his room. He softly closed the door and made his way to sit on his large bed and let out very slightly audible sobs.

"I never knew he thinks I don't love him… I only want to be closer to him…"

Soubi sat there crying for almost an hour before he quietly slipped into sleep.

 

Back at the zero girls home Ritsuka was just finishing up his diner.

"Thanks Kouya. It was really good. And thank both of you for letting me stay…again."

"Your welcome."

"Yeah! No problem Ritsu-kun!"

After diner, Ritsuka helped Yamato in the kitchen with the dishes.

"You feeling any better Ritsuka?"

"Yeah. I feel a little better"

There was then a short silence between the two before Yamato's curiosity finally got the better of her.

"Hey…Ritsuka?"

"Yeah?"

"Umm… what are you and Soubi fighting about anyway?"

Ritsuka froze up a little, trying to decide whether or not to tell his friend the truth about what was going on. Finally he took a deep breath and decided that he needed to tell someone.

"Well, for a while now Soubi has been wanting me to move in with me him, but I told him that I was fine living with my mom. So he backed off a little bit. But, that night you found me in the park…my mom and I had a really big fight and she told me to leave. And of course Soubi insisted that I come stay with him and Kio. But…the thing is…im really afraid to live with him…"

"Why Ritsuka?"

"Well…cause all Soubi wants is…my ears…"

"Why do you think that Ritsuka?"

"I know! I can tell by the way he acts and looks at me. And whenever I…kiss him…he always wants more. And…its not that I mind really…I just... I don't know that he really loves me, he only says it because Seimei told him too; and I don't want to lose my ears to someone who doesn't even love me!"

Ritsuka now had soft gentle tears running down his reddening cheeks.

"Aw…Ritsuka, im sure Soubi does love you! I think he j-"

"No! He doesn't love me! He never did!"

Ritsuka, now crying and sobbing hysterically, ran up to the guest room he was staying in and locked himself in.

Yamato, being very worried, quietly went up stairs to Ritsukas room; but before she went to knock on the door, was stopped by the sound of soft words being whispered between the sobs, coming from the room. She quietly pressed her ear to the door to try and see if she could make out the words.

"I…I j-just want him to love me… I d-don't understand… why cant h-he love me… just because he does? T-this is all Seimei's fault!"

Finally, yamato thought it best just to leave Ritsuka alone for a little while. So she went downstairs, to go visit with her Sentouki.

 

"Kouya… im worried about Ritsuka"

"Don't. He is a pretty strong kid. What ever is wrong, im sure he can handle it."

At that Kouya went over and gave Yamato a tender kiss on the forehead, and they both headed to bed.

 

After about two full hours of crying, Ritsuka dryed his face and ventured out of his rom and downstairs to find that the whole place pitch black. He glanced over at the clock to realize it was well after midnight.

"I guess they went to bed"

Not wanting to wake them up, Ritsuka softly walked back up to his room. He made his way back over to his bed and picked up the manga he was currently reading. After only about five minutes of staring aimlessly into the same page, he closed the book, put on his shoes and walked to his closet and put some things in his small backpack. After he packed his bag he walked over to the window with a rather mischievous look on his face.

"If he wants my ears so damn bad… he can have them! But ill make him wish he never did!"

He then crawled out the window into the pouring rain outside, onto the roof, and down onto the street. His target: his unsuspecting Sentouki.


	5. Revenge

"The rain is really coming down…"

Soubi thought as he lay in bed, unable to sleep. His mind was racing with thoughts of Ritsuka, and the things he had done to him the past few days. Soubi was then snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a small thud coming from his window. He sat up in his bed to see a small figure crawling into his window. HE was shocked to see that it was Ritsuka, soaking wet from head to toe and carrying a small backpack.

"R-Ritsuka?" This was all the blonde could get out as sprang out of bed to where Ritsuka was standing. He immediately fell to his knees and embraced the small boy.

"Don't touch me."  Ritsuka's voice was very calm and cold as he shoved Soubi backwards hard onto the bedroom floor.

"I haven't forgiven you Soubi. What you did…was horrible…"

"R-Ritsuka…"

"SHUT UP! I didn't say you could speak!" Soubi was very taken aback by this, but he shut his mouth in compliance.

Ritsuka then took two small steps toward Soubi, who was sitting on the floor propped up on his hands that were placed firmly on the floor beneath him, until he was standing over his the blonde.

"What you did was completely uncalled for…" Ritsuka then leaned down, putting his face right next to Soubi's ear.

*click*

"…And now, you have to be punished Soubi."

The next thing Soubi knew, he had a leather collar strapped tightly around his neck with a leash attached, the other end clasped tightly in Ritsuka's small hand.

"Rits-"

"Shut up!"

Ritsuka shouted as he yanked hard on the leash, pulling Soubi up off his hands then down so that Soubi was now on all fours.

"Now…Soubi, you going to be a good boy and listen to your master right?"

"Y-yes." Stuttered Soubi, still completely dumbfounded by this new attitude of Ritsuka's.

"That's a good boy. Now, there are only two rules that you must follow. Rule number one: I don't want to hear a single word, not one sound from you unless I say so. Rule number two: you must obey every order I give you. And if you break one of the rules, then your punishment will only get worse. Understood?"

"Y-yes."

With that, Ritsuka shoved Soubi back down onto the floor so that he was laying on his back. He then crawled on top of him, lowering his head and began gently nibbling on Soubi's ears, letting out soft quiet moans that made Soubi shiver. Ritsuka then began leaving a trail of wet kisses along Soubi's neck, making his way down his chest. Soubi was gritting his teeth trying desperately to stay quiet. Ritsuka then found Soubi's soft nipple and began gently kissing it and flicking it with his tongue. This forced a deep moan out of Soubi, which immediately made Ritsuka stop.

"Ah ah ah, that's rule number one. Come here!"

Ritsuka quickly stood up yanking the leash hard, bringing Soubi up into his knees. He then reached down into his backpack and pulled out a leather whip that he cracked into his palm.

"Now you have to get punished."

Ritsuka gave a small smirk and pulled Soubi back onto his knees and immediately cracked the whip across Soubi's back. Again, Soubi gritted his teeth fighting back his groans of pain and pleasure.

*crack*

Soubi flinched at the pain, although he was actually beginning to enjoy this sadistic side of Ritsuka.

*crack*

*crack*

*crack*

"Hmph… not a sound. What a good boy you are Soubi. Now, get on the bed and lay down." Soubi promptly followed his orders, as Ritsuka dropped the whip and began digging around in his bag for something else. Soubi saw him pull out something but he couldn't quite make out what it was in the darkness.

"Close you eye Soubi."

Soubi complied and laid there in the darkness for a few moments, the only sound in the room was the sound of Ritsuka shuffling around doing something, but Soubi couldn't figure it out. After a minute or two, Soubi felt Ritsuka crawling onto the bed and over top of him until he was straddling his lap. He then felt Ritsuka's small hands grabbing onto his hands gently, then the feeling of cold metal wrapped around his wrists.

"You can open them now."

Soubi immediately looked up to see himself handcuffed to the head board of his bed. He then looked down and almost had a heart attack when he saw Ritsuka sitting on his lap, now wearing nothing but his tight boxers, and despite all his efforts he couldn't help but to mutter a surprised groan.

"Ah…Ritsu-"

*smack*

Soubi was immediately cut off by a small hand smacked hard across his face.

"Bad boy Soubi." Ritsuka said with a very evil smile. Soubi looked back at him with a very apologetic and obedient look.

"That's better. Now remember the rules Soubi…or else."

Soubi nodded.

Ritsuka then began again leaving wet kisses down Soubi's frame, this time all the way down to his boxers where he stopped only long enough to pull them down Soubi's long slender legs, releasing his very hard, very large member.

Soubi's eyes instantly shot wide open in surprise. He really couldn't believe this was happening…he had no idea that quiet, shy Ritsuka could act like this. Soubi's racing mind was stopped dead in it tracks when he felt a small slippery tongue slowly run the length of his member, giving him chills through his whole body. Ritsuka then shot Soubi seductive glance and a very evil smile. He then quickly took Soubi's whole length into his mouth and began slowly working his mouth along his shaft, swirling his tongue around it as he went. Soubi threw his head back at the moist, warm sensation. He began trying to buck his hips up to meet his lovers mouth, only to have them forced down against the bed, driving Soubi crazy. Soubi was fighting back his moans with everything he had, biting down on his lip to try to keep the sound from escaping. Ritsuka picked up the pace as he began giving little moans around Soubi's member. The subtle vibrations of this drove Soubi over the edge. He couldn't take it anymore. Soubi bit down hard on his lip, drawing blood, as he exploded in his partners small mouth and stared in awe as he swallowed all of it with a very sexy smile. Ritsuka licked his lips and crawled his way up to Soubi's lips and licked up the blood trickling down his chin.

"Good boy."

Without another word, Ritsuka crawled off of his fighter, quickly packed up his things and got dressed. Soubi watched every move, still in shock from the experience and handcuffed helplessly to his bed. Soubi's eyes followed the small figure all the way to the window, where Ritsuka stood in silence for a moment, his hair and clothes still damp from the rain. Ritsuka then turned his head slightly and gave Soubi a little smirk.

"Until next time Soubi."

With those final words, Ritsuka was gone, leaving Soubi stunned, his mind racing with questions, his heart still pounding and his body bruised. He let out an exhausted sigh and decided just to try and sleep and figure everything out in the morning.

Ritsuka climbed down from Soubi's apartment and down onto the wet street into the rain. He began to head toward Yamato's place, but as soon as he turned the corner from Soubi's he fell to his knees in tears.

"Is this really what you want Soubi…to hurt? Why Soubi…why cant you just love me…"

 

 

The next morning: Soubi and Kio's apartment.

"Hmmm… weird. Soubi is always up before me. I guess i'll go wake him up." Kio then walked up to Soubi's room and flung open the door.

"Soubi! Wake up, its t-… Uhhhhh…"

"Don't ask. Just go get the bolt cutters."


	6. Missing

The morning after Soubi's strange encounter with his young sacrifice, Soubi and Kio sat in the kitchen eating breakfast in an awkward silence (due to Kio having to cut Soubi from his bed earlier).

"So…Soubi, what happ-"

"Shut up Kio. It's none of your business." Soubi's voice was very cold, and he sounded quite aggravated, but Kio thought it was best to leave the subject alone, at least for now.

"Fine."

Kio then got up from the table and took his dishes to the kitchen, pouting all the way. Soubi sat at the table staring blankly at the food he hadn't touched, running every moment of the previous night through his head, trying desperately to figure out exactly what happened. He knew that Ritsuka was upset at him, but he still wasn't exactly sure why, all he wants is to be close to Ritsuka.

Soubi's thoughts are interrupted by a very loud banging on the front door.

"Soubi! Will you get it? I'm doing the dishes."

Soubi begrudgingly got up from the table and headed toward the door. The banging continued the whole way.

"I'm coming! Jeez…"

Soubi finally answered the door, rather annoyed. He was met by a very angry blonde woman.

"Where is Ritsuka!? What did you do to him!?"

"Y-yamato? What are you talking about?" Soubi's voice was rather confused, but slightly shaky.

"Ritsuka is gone! He left a note that just said "be back later", but he hasn't come home, and his teacher said he didn't go to school today. Now where is he!"

"He's gone?!" Soubi's tone changed very quickly. His mind was racing with worry and questions. 'Where could he be? Why didn't he go back? Does this have something to do with last night?'

"Yamato, I don't know where Ritsuka is." Then there was only a small silence. "But I WILL find him."

He then started to close the door, but he was stopped by the small blonde's hands.

"Wait! I'm coming with you. I'm really worried about him."

Soubi wasn't really sure if he wanted her to tag along; she isn't exactly helping him get closer to Ritsuka after all. However, he figured that more eyes looking for him couldn't be a bad idea.

"Ugh…fine."

"Thank you Soubi"

Before departing, Soubi reached his head inside the door frame just to shout at his roommate.

"Kio! I'll be back later."

"Where are you-" But before Kio could even ask he heard the door slam behind Soubi.

*sigh* "I wonder what's gotten into Sou-chan…"

Back outside…

"Soubi-san! Wait up!"

Soubi was already a good half a block ahead of the blonde, and showing no signs of slowing down; all he could focus on was finding Ritsuka.

"Soubi please slow down!" Finally, Soubi calmed his thoughts enough to slow his pace and allow Yamato to catch up.

"Thank you…So, where are we going first?"

"To the Aoyagi house."

"But…why would he go to his mother's house?"

Yamato was very confused as to why they would start searching there and when she was only met with silence from the tall blonde, she began to worry. She looked up at Soubi hoping to be reassured by some sort of worried, confident, or at least normal expression from his face, but his expression was cold and angry. Now she was sure that this wouldn't end well.

**TBC**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize again for short chapters. Sometimes i just get stuck i suppose. :/


	7. Gone

'It's time I settled this once and for all…' This thought was the only thing racing through Soubi's mind as he and Yamato approached the Aoyagi household. When they arrived at the small gate in front of the house Soubi stopped rather abruptly, causing Yamato to run into him.

"Hey! Why did you stop?!"

"It's best if you wait here."

"Uh…yeah…ok Soubi." Yamato could tell by the cold harsh tone in his voice that he was very serious and she did not want to be on the receiving end of that man's anger ever again; so she plopped down on the curb very obediently, peering over her shoulder only once to see Soubi slip into the house.

'He didn't even knock…how rude.'

Sitting on the curb in the quite suburb, Yamato was left alone with only her thoughts.

'I really hope Ritsuka is ok, even Kouya is starting to get worried about him….Hmm, I wonder what is taking Soubi so long."

As soon as that thought ran across her mind, she heard a loud crashing sound from the house behind her. She immediately sprang up and ran toward the house, scared to death of what could be happening in there. When she shoved open the door, her fears were realized. There was broken glass shattered all over the entry way, it looked like it might have been from a vase or something similar. Her gaze was then quickly shifted to Soubi, his face had a small cut across his cheek and he had Ritsuka's mother pinned against the wall by her shoulders.

"This is all your fault! All you have ever done is hurt him and make him hate himself! Your blame him for all the problems that you created! " Yamato, still frozen in fear in the doorway, could see small tears streaming down Soubi's face.

"After Seimei died you were all he had! You're his mother! You're supposed to protect him!"

"…My son is dead…" These were the only words that came from the small woman's lips, more whispered, as if she were in mourning.

"HOW CAN YOU SILL THINK THAT?!" Yamato finally unfroze as she saw Soubi's hands quickly move from the woman's shoulders to her throat.

"Soubi! Stop! This won't help you find Ritsuka! This won't help anything!" To her surprise, her words seemed to actually get through to him. He released his grip and Ritsuka's mother fell to her knees on the floor, and she just stared blankly at the floor as if her mind wasn't even there anymore.

"You're right. She will never change. She is completely gone now." He said in an icy voice without ever breaking eye contact with the women crumpled on the floor. He then turned and headed back to the door.

"Come on Yamato, we have to find Ritsuka."

Without another word, the two left the house and headed back down the street. Soubi was walking much slower now, very deep in thought, his held low with his long shrouding the tears that were still streaming down his face.

"Soubi…your face…are you ok? Did she hurt you?"

"I'm fine." Soubi's voice sounded very detached now. "Let's go check the park."

"Ok."

Yamato was really starting to get worried about Soubi; he really wasn't acting like his usual calm and quite self. As she was trying desperately to put together all the pieces of this mess in her head, she was starting think she got herself into way more than she thought.

 

**TBC**


	8. Home

"Soubi!" Yamato whined at the older man while hanging onto his arm, she was extremely exhausted after what had now been five or six hours of searching.

"Soubi…we have looked everywhere. We have already checked the park, the school, the library, and all the shops in town. I want to find Ritsuka too but it's getting late and I'm sure Kouya is starting to worry about me. Why don't we start looking again first thing tomorrow?"

Soubi looked down at her with the softest expression she had seen from him in quite a while, and even gave her a small smile.

"Yamato, you're right, it is getting late. Why don't you go ahead and go home. I want to stop by one more place before I go home, then we will start again tomorrow. Thank you for your help."

Yamato was still quite surprised in Soubi's attitude change, thankful, but surprised. With that, she returned a smile to him and began her walk home while trying to think of places to start the search for tomorrow. Soubi on the other hand, knew exactly where his next stop was; and he hoped with all his heart that he would find his lost love.

After about another fifteen minutes of walking, Soubi arrived at his destination: the cemetery just on the outskirts of town. It was almost dark now and the temperature was starting to drop, but Soubi was determined to keep searching. He walked through the iron gates and began to walk down the gravel path that led through the cemetery, glancing around as he walked, even though he knew exactly where he was heading. He finally came to the bottom of a small hill atop of which stood a tall oak tree with only a single headstone underneath it. As he climbed the hill, head down, he was reading the tombstone in his head from memory.

'Aoyagi Seimei. Son. Brother. Beloved.'

As he reached the top, a small voice hit his ears that filled him with relief, it was Ritsuka's voice. Soubi slowly approached the boy from behind and stopped just a ways back to listen to what the boy's voice was saying. He could barely make out the words through the shivers and tears.

*sniff*

"It's all your f-fault…you left me alone, you lied to me, you hurt people. I… I hate you. It's because of you that Soubi will never love me!"

Soubi could no longer take the pain of listening. He slowly came up behind Ritsuka without saying a word and fell to his knees, wrapping his arms around the boy. Ritsuka, although startled, immediately knew who it was behind him; he would never admit it, but he could recognize the smell of Soubi's cologne and the exact feeling of being in his arms.

"What are you doing here Soubi…" Ritsuka said in a quite cold voice.

"I came looking for you."

Ritsuka then quickly stood up and shoved the older man away from him. He turned towards him with tears still streaming down his face.

"Why would you do that?! Why do you care Soubi?!"

"Ritsuka…because I love you!"

"Liar! I don't believe you!" Ritsuka then fell to his knees from exhaustion and the cold, burying his face in his hands sobbing uncontrollably. Soubi quickly came to the boy, falling to his knees as well and embraced Ritsuka, pulling him into his chest.

"Ritsuka, how can you think I don't love you?" Ritsuka lifted his head to look at Soubi, his face bright red and covered in tears; but his anger was gone from a combination of exhaustion and the comfort of being in Soubi's arms.

"Because… you're only following Seimei's orders to love me, you don't love me for yourself…and you wanted me come live with you…so I know you just want to take my ears. That's why I came to your room last night, I thought if I gave you my ears then maybe you could love me for yourself…but I realized that that will never happen. My mom is right…no one could ever love me…" His head then sank back into Soubi's chest as he continued to cry.

Soubi could hear all the pain in the small boy's voice and it made the pain in his chest intolerable; and he knew he had to tell Ritsuka the truth. So he took Ritsuka's head in his hands and lifted it so they were face to face.

"Ritsuka…I need to tell you something. Seimei…never "gave" me to you. I watched you grow up from a far for so long. As you got older and older, I began to take more and more interest in your life. A few weeks before Seimei died, I realized how much I cared for you, and I also started to realize how cruel you brother was; but as his fighter I couldn't abandon him. One day though, I finally found the courage to tell him that I loved you, and not him. He was furious, and that's when he gave me all the scars on my neck. He said that I would always be his, and that the marks were to make sure that I never forgot that. Nothing was the same between us again, but I had no choice but to remain obedient. Then when he died…I found Seimei's will, his real one. He had wished for me to be sent back to the academy because if he had died then I had "failed my duties". So, I burned it and I forged a new one, leaving me to you. That was the only way I could get close to you, so that I could make you mine. Ritsuka…all I have ever wanted was to be with you and to love you and only you."

Ritsuka was awestruck, he couldn't believe what he was hearing, and yet his tears of pain suddenly turned into tears of joy; and for the first time since he was a child, he was actually happy. Even through all the lies and pain in his life, for some reason for the first time in his life, he had no doubts about what he had just heard. This feeling was something Ritsuka had never experienced before.

Still in shock, Ritsuka gazed up at Soubi and saw small tears stream down his face.

"Ritsuka…I'm sorry. I'm sorry I have never told you…I was so afraid. I don't want to be another person in your life that lies and hurts you, I just couldn't bare that. Ritsu-"

Soubi's words were cut short by soft small lips pressing gently against his own. This feeling filled Soubi with a warmth that he had never felt before. He pulled the boy closer and deepened the kiss, reveling in very second, wishing that that moment could last forever. The small boy then pulled away and wiped the tears from his face, looking deep into Soubi's silver eyes. He then finally collected himself enough to speak, only a few words, but words that struck through Soubi's heart deeper than the most powerful spell.

"Soubi…I love you."

Soubi immediately stood and swept the boy up in his arms, embracing him as if their lives depended on it.

"I love you too Ritsuka. I always have."

Ritsuka smiled and snuggled his small face into Soubi's before looking up at him once more.

"Let's go home Soubi."

"Yes…let's go home."

**TBC**


	9. Trouble

After a very long day, both Soubi and Ritsuka were exhausted. By the time they were only half way to Soubi's home the small cat eared boy could barely stand. Not wanting him to trip or fall, Soubi scooped him up in his arms and watched with great joy as the boy snuggled into him and feel asleep in his arms for the rest of the walk home. Once arriving at the large two story home, Soubi gently pushed open the front, trying not to wake his sacrifice, and went straight upstairs to his bedroom. Soubi didn't want this warm feeling to end, so he crawled into bed with Ritsuka still curled up in his arms. After only a minute or so Soubi also drifted off to sleep with Ritsuka held safely close to him, not even minding to change out of his clothes.

The next morning Soubi got up early, as he usually did, and went down to the kitchen where Kio was already cooking breakfast.

"Good morning Sou-chan! I heard you come in awfully late last night, is everything ok?"

"Yes, everything is fine. Please try to be quite though, Ritsuka is upstairs sleeping." Kio seemed really taken aback by this, as if he were insulted.

"Ritsuka? Why is he here? I thought he was living with those weird chicks." His tone came off rather odd to Soubi; it was like he was irritated for some reason. But Soubi thought maybe he was just having a bad morning.

"He was, but he has decided that he would rather stay here with me. Is that going to be a problem…?"

"No. Why would it be? It is your house after all. I'm happy for you Sou-chan." Kio's tone quickly changed back to his normal chipper self.

"Would you like any breakfast Soubi?"

"No thank you. I actually have to go over to the Zero's house and let them know that Ritsuka will be staying here. So I will be back in a while. Please try to let Ritsuka sleep as late as he wants; he has had a long night."

"Yup, no problem. I'll see you later"

With that, Soubi grabbed his coat and headed out the door, leaving Kio to eat breakfast alone. As soon as the front door closed however, a very sinister smirk appeared across Kio's face.

'hmmm, so the little brat is living here now…? How fun.'

As Soubi closed the door behind him, he was actually excited to go see Yamato and deliver good news; he finally felt like things were going to be smooth sailing for once in his chaotic life. All these good thoughts running through his mind made his walk go by in an instant it seemed and before he knew it, he had arrived at his destination. He walked up to the door of girls apartment and knocked rather gently, seeing as it was very early and he knew Yamato was out as late as he was. Surprisingly enough however, Yamato was the one to answer the door and she was greeted by a very satisfied smile from the tall man. She immediately knew by that smile that he had found Ritsuka and couldn't be more relieved.

"Soubi! I'm so glad to see you! I'm guessing you found your lost little kitty cat?" She said in a joking voice. Which to her relief, made Soubi giggle just a little.

"Why yes I did. In fact, I was just stopping by today to let you know that Ritsuka has decided to come and live with me. Not out of ill will for you two of course." Yamato then immediately jumped up and gave Soubi a big hug that he embraced warmly.

"I'm very happy for you Soubi! I'm glad you two worked it out."

"And I'm glad to have my guest room back!" Kouya shouted from inside the house.

"She is just kidding Sou-chan. She is just grumpy in the mornings."

"It's alright. I am very grateful to you both for taking care of him; I am in your debt. Oh and I don't think I ever apologized for hurting you. I am very sorry about that, I was not myself that night. I hope you will forgive me."

"It's ok Soubi, I understand. Would you like to come in for some tea?"

"No thank you, I would like to get home and make sure Ritsuka is doing ok, maybe another time."

"OK. I wish the best to you both. Goodbye Sou-chan."

"Goodbye."

Soubi then turned and began his walk home yet again, walking a little faster this time however, he was very excited to get home and back to Ritsuka. On the way he did decide to stop into a shop for a moment, he saw a very adorable little heart shaped snack cake that he thought he would get for his lover. Rather satisfied with his purchase, he continued on his way.

Upon arriving home, he went straight into the kitchen to set down the cake. He realized then that he heard the shower on upstairs so he figured Ritsuka must have gotten up already and was taking a shower. He wasn't really sure if the laundry had been put away yet so he decided to take up some fresh towels to Ritsuka. When he got to the upstairs bathroom, he knocked but heard no reply, so he decided he would just go in and set the towels down for him, but when he went to open the door it was locked. Luckily, Soubi actually had a small rod that acted as a key to the bathroom, just in case he ever needed it. After unlocking the door he entered slowly; he then heard a soft whimper and what sounded like crying. This worried Soubi very much.

"Ritsuka?" He called from just inside the bathroom door, but no answer. He walked up to the shower curtain and pulled it back to find the small boy curled up in a ball in the tub crying underneath the running water. He noticed a cut across his cheek and bruises all over his arms. In shock, Soubi turned off the water and picked the boy up right out of the tub and cradled him in his arms.

"Ritsuka, what happened?! Are you okay!?" Soubi was completely baffled and extremely worried when the boy wouldn't answer.

"Ritsuka! Please tell me what happened!" He then heard the small boy whimper and try to speak but the only word that Soubi could make out was "Kio".

Soubi's worry quickly turned to anger.

"Kio?! Did he do this to you?!" The small boy still didn't speak, but only nodded a very subtle yes. Soubi was filled with rage, but he first had to tend to his sacrifice. He quickly wrapped Ritsuka up in a towel and carried him into the bedroom, set him gently on the bed and pulled the covers up over him.

"Ritsuka, I'll be back in a few minutes. Will you be ok?" Again, the boy just nodded yes, still in pain and shock from his ordeal.

With that, Soubi stormed down the stairs as fast as he could and violently threw open the door to Kio's bedroom. He found him sitting up in his bed reading a book as if nothing had happened.

"Kio! What the fuck happened to Ritsuka!" Kio looked up from his book very nonchalantly at the very angry blonde standing in his door way.

"What do you mean?" Kio's voice was very sarcastic, which sent Soubi into an even bigger frenzy. Soubi came at Kio and picked him up off his bed and slammed him hard against the wall, pinning him against it.

"You know damn well what I mean! What did you do!?" Soubi's anger continued to build as Kio just rolled his eyes.

"What do you think happened, Soubi? I gave him what he deserved." This comment earned Kio a powerful punch right in his jaw. Soubi then let him fall to the floor then stood over him with a very frightening face.

"What the hell are you talking about!? How did he deserve that?! What has he done to you?!" Kio's voice finally changed to a very angry tone.

"It's not just what he did to me! It's what he did to the both of us! That boy has never been anything but trouble! All you ever do is come to his rescue and follow him around waiting on him hand and foot! And how does he repay you?! By pushing you away, or running away to live with someone else, he won't even show you any affection! And while you're off saving that boy, I'm here every day cooking and cleaning for you! I do everything for you, and I have been doing for years now! Now all of a sudden, he decides you're good enough for him. Well fuck that Soubi! I was here first! I loved you first!"

Soubi still couldn't believe what he was hearing and he couldn't contain his anger anymore. He swiftly kicked Kio directly in the ribs as he lie on the floor, making him double up in pain and cough a small amount of blood onto the floor.

"How dare you Kio! You were my best friend! Do you really think that you can justify your jealousy by hurting Ritsuka?!" At this Kio let out a strained laugh.

"Maybe not…But it sure as hell made me feel better. I'm just sorry that he locked himself in the bathroom before I could get my hands on him again." That was the last straw for Soubi; he laid another kick into Kio's side before picking him up off the floor by the bloodied collar of his shirt.

"You get the fuck out! And don't you ever, ever let me catch you anywhere near my Ritsuka again!" Without even letting Kio spit out another smart ass reply, Soubi dragged him by his shirt to the front door and threw him as hard as he could onto the porch, causing Kio to crash face first into the concrete. Kio then slowly stood up, broken and covered in blood and peered back at the tall blonde.

"Fine Soubi. I see how it is. You're really going to pick that brat over me?"

"Yes I am! And I'll have someone deliver your things to the college."

Without another word, Kio turned and walked away, defeated.

As soon as Soubi was sure that Kio was gone, he slammed and locked the front door. He then immediately turned his attention to the injured boy upstairs. He ran back up the stairs to the master bedroom where Ritsuka laid frozen and soaking wet in the exact same position that Soubi left him in, with the exception of the blanket being pulled completely over his head now. Soubi slowly approached the bed at sat down very gently next to the small boy and spoke to him in a very soft loving voice.

"Ritsuka, I'm back. Kio is gone, and he won't be coming back." He gently laid a hand on the blanket that covered the boy and pulled it completely off of him, so that he could assess his injuries. Upon pulling the blanket back, he could see all of his lover's body, except for the areas that were still covered by the towel that was wrapped around his waist. Soubi could barely hold back tears as his eyes scanned Ritsuka from top to bottom. Soubi gently traced his delicate fingers over all of Ritsuka's injuries. There was a gash that went across his right cheek that when touched made the small boy flinch a little. There were also several hand shaped bruises on his shoulders and arms, it enraged Soubi that Kio had grabbed the boy so hard that the bruises were actually hand shaped. After tracing over all his injuries, Soubi finally spoke.

"Are you hurt anywhere else?" Soubi was only met with silence.

"Please tell me." Finally, Ritsuka looked up at Soubi with his eyes still full of tears, then looked away as if he were ashamed as he pulled up his towel just a little to show more hand shaped bruises on his upper thighs; this almost made Soubi's heart stop.

"Ritsuka…did Kio…" His words were cut off by the boy's soft voice as he spoke in between sniffles.

"No. B-but he tried. But I kicked him and locked myself in the bathroom. Then he shouted mean things at me through the door. H-he told me that I was nothing but a selfish child and that I could never make you happy. A-and…" His words were cut off by the older man.

"Shh, that's enough. None of what Kio said is true." He then gently grabbed the boy up into his arms and held him tightly against his chest and felt very warm when Ritsuka snuggled his face into him. Soubi gently caressed the small boy's hair, taking great care not to brush his sensitive cat ears that were pressed down very firmly on his head. They stayed like that, silent, until Soubi couldn't hold his emotion back anymore and tears began to stream down his face.

"Ritsuka, I'm so sorry. I should have been here. I should have been here to protect you. I- I just never thought that Kio…" His words were cut short by a small finger pressed against his lips.

"It's not your fault. It's because of you that…that I escaped when I did." Soubi looked very confused by this.

"I've become so used to mother hurting me, that when I get bullied or hurt I just…tune out. With mother, if I fight back or defend myself, it only gets worse. So I don't ever fight back. So when Kio attacked me today I didn't fight back, until he tried to…touch me there. When he did that, all I could think of was you…all I could think was that…this ears, my ears…I don't want anyone else to take them that isn't you." Being this open was very unusual for him, so Ritsuka was blushing wildly at this point. "For the first time in my life Soubi…I fought back; because of you." Soubi was completely speechless, he had never known Ritsuka to be this open and he never dreamt that he would say such words. These words struck Soubi right through his heart, so much that it brought tears to his eyes again.

"Ritsuka…I don't know what to say…"

Ritsuka then gathered all his strength and confidence and sat up in Soubi's lap and pressed his lips against the older man's; Soubi was shocked that Ritsuka was the one this time to deepen the kiss, gently biting at Soubi's bottom lip and gently pressing forward with his tongue, begging for entrance. Soubi's happily accepting his request. Soubi squeezed the boy tightly as their tongues battled for dominance, each exploring the other with great passion. Ritsuka finally broke the kiss, greatly to Soubi's disappointment, to catch his breath and speak to his fighter.

"Just tell me that you love me."

"I love you Ritsuka."

"I love you too."

The two looked at each other lovingly with smiles in their eyes.

"Let's go get you cleaned up Ritsuka. I think you could really use some cake." Ritsuka nodded with a big smile on his face. Even though he was beaten and bruised, he couldn't be happier.

**TBC**


	10. Release

Things finally seemed a little more peaceful in large three bedroom house that Ritsuka and Soubi had all to themselves now. It was about eleven O'clock at night now, and the small cat eared boy was dressed in a pair of small black shorts (rather short ones) and his oversized blue sweater that he had grown so accustomed too, and the cut across his face now had a white bandage over it. The two of them now sat at the kitchen table one across from the other. Soubi simply watched very happily as his partner was thoroughly enjoying the small cake that he had bought earlier. Ritsuka then finally looked up from his cake, looking rather full and happy with a big smile on his face.

"Thank you for my cake Sou-chan." Soubi actually blushed just a little at that. Ritsuka had actually never called him that before; he was usually much more proper and always referred to him by his full name. Soubi couldn't believe that something as small as a nickname from his lover could make his chest flutter like this, he was like a child falling in love for the first time. In fact, now that Soubi thought about it, he was falling in love for the first time; he had truly never loved anyone before. Soubi was now completely lost in his thoughts.

"Soubi?" The small boy across the table snapped him out of his unintentional daydreaming.

"Sorry, I was just daydreaming. I'm glad you enjoyed your cake." Soubi still had a big grin on his face.

"Daydreaming about what?" The boy asked, sincerely interested.

"Nothing; are you finished?"

"Yes." Soubi was very glad that he dodged Ritsuka's question, he didn't really want to admit that he was daydreaming like a school girl. Soubi then got up from the table and walked around to Ritsuka and placed a very gentle kiss on the boy's head as he picked up the plate from in front of him and walked to the sink. The small kiss made Ritsuka blush wildly; he still wasn't completely used to being treated so kindly.

"How are you feeling? Does your face still hurt?" Soubi inquired as he washed the few dishes in the sink.

"I feel fine, it feels much better now."

"Good." Soubi finished up the dishes and dried his hands, he then walked up behind Ritsuka and scooped him up right out of his chair bridal style, taking Ritsuka very much by surprise. Soubi stared into the boy's deep purple eyes, almost losing himself in them; he then gave the boy a rather coy smile.

"Would you like to go to bed now Ritsu-kun?" This made the boy blush yet again; almost no one called him that and he never actually liked it very much, but coming from that person in that voice, it actually made his heart race.

"y-yes, I think we should go to bed now." The boy then threw his arms around his fighter's neck and held onto him tightly, snuggling into his chest as Soubi carried him. Ritsuka loved everything about this moment; everything from the way he smelled, to the comforting feeling he got from burying his face into the safety of chest, listening to his heartbeat. The older man truly overwhelmed all of his senses to the point that he could stay in those strong arms forever. Ritsuka was pulled away from his blissful thoughts by the small creak of the bedroom door opening. Ritsuka lifted his head to take a good look around, seeing as this was the first time he actually got a really good look at the rather large master bedroom seeing as all the times he had been in it, it was dark or he was asleep. In the middle of the room was a very large bay window nook that had a few decorative pillows placed on it, this was probably his favorite feature of the room. His attention then turned to the very large king bed in the corner of the room, it looked so comfortable. There was a huge fluffy down comforter accompanied by equally lush fluffy pillows. Ritsuka couldn't wait to sink into that bed. Right as he thought that, his prayers were answered as Soubi gently laid him down right in the middle of it. It felt just as good as it looked and Ritsuka immediately stretched out in all directions, enjoying every inch of the bed. Just the sight of this made Soubi smile and almost laugh.

"Is my bed comfortable enough for you?" He said in a joking manor. Ritsuka gave him a coy smile and nodded in approval.

"I never noticed before that your bed was this comfy." He said as he pressed his face deeply into one of the plush pillows.

"Well I changed all the bedding while you were getting cleaned up and dressed earlier. I thought you would like it. Oh and I have something else that I think you might like." This made Ritsuka sit up on his knees and perk up his ears, and even wag his tail a little. This almost made Soubi's heart melt; the small boy looked so cute.

"What is it?" The boy asked very excitedly.

"Well, I know you have had a very long couple of days…" As he spoke, Soubi reached into the bedside table and retrieved a small bottle of massage oil. "So I thought you would really use a massage." Soubi then dangled the small bottle in front of the small boy, as if offering him a treat. To Soubi's great pleasure, the boy's face lit up and his tail was now wagging ferociously.

"That would be amazing!" Soubi then crawled onto the bed o sit behind his sacrifice. He pulled the boy closer to him and very gently placed his long slender hands on his sides, just under his baggy sweater and slowly lifted it up over his head, exposing his small slender frame. This action sent small shivers up Ritsuka's spine, not from cold, but just from the few seconds of contact of those hands on his skin. Much to Ritsuka's relief, those hands were quickly placed back on his exposed skin. The oldness of the oil on Soubi's hands made him shiver a little, but it was a small price to pay to have those hands touching him in such a gentle way. Soubi then began to gently rub the boy's back, starting at the base and working his way up, exploring every inch of his supple skin. This was the first time that Soubi got a good look at all the scars on the boy given to him by his mother. He took extra care to be careful when rubbing over these areas. As Soubi made his way up the boys back to his shoulders, Ritsuka could feel every muscle in his body relax and all his troubles and fears seemed to just melt away. Ritsuka had become so lost in his blissful relaxation that he didn't even notice that he was letting out small sensual gasps and moans and Soubi rubbed him. Soubi however, took great notice in this and was rather enjoying it. Soubi continued his massage, deeply enjoying every sound that escaped from the boy's lips until he couldn't contain his feelings any longer. Soubi very slyly took advantage of Ritsuka's daze and reached slowly around to the front of him and began gently rubbing his chest until he found his way to Ritsuka's now very erect small nipples. This snapped him out of his daze and earned Soubi a small sensual gasp. Soubi then quickly turned the small boy around to face him; this is when he saw how bright red his face was, and he noticed that Ritsuka's eyes had changed dramatically. The boy looking at him now was no longer the boy that he met outside the elementary school two years ago. The boy looking at him now with glassy seductive eyes, he knew this was the real Ritsuka. This was the Ritsuka that he had been seeing all along, finally coming out and Soubi couldn't hold back for another second. Soubi wrapped his arms around the boy and pulled him as close as he could, taking his face in his hands, he pressed his lips against Ritsuka's. Ritsuka's heart began flutter wildly as the kiss deepened and began more passionate, it felt like Soubi had taken all the breath out of his lungs. Suddenly there was a tugging feeling in the pit of Ritsuka's stomach and an overwhelming urge to dominate the situation. Ritsuka then broke the kiss to shove Soubi onto his back so that he was lying on the bed in front of him. Soubi noticed that seductive look in Ritsuka's eyes as the boy crawled on top of the blonde, straddling his lap. Soubi was surprised still at how dominate Ritsuka was being, he was enjoying it all the same however. Ritsuka then began to slowly unbutton Soubi's tight shirt until everyone was opened, revealing his strong chest. Just the sight of his toned muscled sent Ritsuka's heart into a frenzy and he quickly began leaving a trail of wet kisses down his chest, until he latched onto the blonde's erect nipples and began to gently lick and nibble at them, earning him small deep moans from his fighters lips. Ritsuka then began make his way up to Soubi neck and began placing gently kisses over the scars across his neck that had almost completely disappeared by now, earning more noises from the blonde. Ritsuka then decided to turn his attention to the growing bulge below Soubi's slender hips, and his kisses slowly made his way to that area. When he arrived at the point where flesh met fabric, he shot Soubi a very seductive grin and began to unbutton and unzip the amazingly tight jeans that Soubi was wearing. After completely removing those jeans, Ritsuka continued his assault on the boxers underneath, removing them with his teeth, revealing Soubi's very large erect member. Soubi was already about to lose it just from the looks he was getting from those deep purple eyes. He really had no idea that Ritsuka could be this seductive, but he was not complaining. Soubi was very surprised when the boy suddenly slowly licked the sensitive organ from bottom to top in one motion. Soubi then couldn't help but let out a moan as the boy took his whole erection into his mouth, beginning his assault. He let his tongue thoroughly explore the organ in his mouth, paying great attention to the sensitive tip. Soubi couldn't help but to buck his hips into the moist cavern that was wrapped around him, moaning all the while.

"R-Ritsuka…ahh."

Ritsuka could tell that Soubi was close to release, and he was not about to let that happen yet, so much to Soubi's displeasure, he released his member from his mouth with one last lick along the length. Soubi could wait no longer, he wanted to envelop that boy in every way he possible could. The mood quickly changed as Soubi grabbed the smaller boy and flipped their positions so that Ritsuka was lying on the bed now with his fighter hovering over him. Soubi loved how vulnerable the boy looked in this position with his hands held over his head and now a more innocent yet sexy expression on his face. It was Soubi's turn now, and he didn't plan on showing any mercy. Soubi quickly began an assault on the boy's neck, biting and sucking, leaving small red marks and summoning small gasps from the boy. Soubi was very quick to make his was to the small black shorts that still covered the boy. He quickly slipped them down his slender legs revealing not only that the boy wasn't wearing underwear, but also revealing the boy's erect member. Soubi stopped for a moment to take in this beautiful sight, his eyes taking in every inch of that gorgeous body. Soubi then wasted no time in attending to Ritsuka's erection. He slowly traced his fingers down the boy's stomach down to the weeping organ, and then took it in his hands, which were still covered in massage oil. He then began stroking the sensitive flesh at an almost painfully slow pace, enjoying the wild moans that were now escaping the boy's mouth.

"Ahhh…Soubi…faster!"

Soubi gladly obliged and quickened the pace until pre-cum began to seep from his erection. Soubi very devilishly licked it up, making Ritsuka cry out even more.

"nnhhnn…S-Sou…"

Soubi thought this was a good place to stop, not wanting the boy to cum just yet. He removed his hand from Ritsuka's erection, and sat up in the bed. He pulled the now sweating boy closer to him and picked him up so that he was sitting in his lap. Soubi gently nibbled on the boy's ears before whispering in a sexy raspy voice.

"Are you ready?" The boy blushed wildly.

"Y-yes." Unsatisfied with that answer, Soubi again took Ritsuka's member into his hand stroking it gently.

"You can do better than that Ritsu-kun."

"nnhhnn…ahh..Soubi please! I want you! I want you inside of me please!"

"That's much better." Soubi gave the boy an evil smirk as he reached again into the bedside table pulling out another small bottle, this time however it was a lubricant. He flipped open the bottle with one hand, and covered two of his fingers with the slick substance. Ritsuka was now clinging to the blonde's body, his arms wrapped around his neck, his cat ears pressed flat against his head and his tail curled tightly beneath him. The small boy was shaking quite a bit at this point.

"I-I'm scared. Will it hurt?" Soubi reassured him with a passionate kiss.

"Only for a moment, but I'll be gentle. Are you sure you're ready?"

"Yes."

After getting the approval he need, Soubi reached around the boy that was still facing him in his lap, and found the spot that he had been longing for. He began gently rubbing the tight area in small circles, eliciting small gasps of pleasure from the boy. Soubi then gently slipped his fingers into the tight hole, making Ritsuka moan and cringe at the same time.

"Are you ok?"

"Ahh..yes…" Soubi then began a slow gentle scissoring motion of his fingers, carefully preparing the boy for what was to come. Soubi continued this until all of a sudden Ritsuka cried out.

"AHH! Soubi!" Soubi then knew that he had found that sweet spot inside the small that he was searching for. He then began brushing that spot with his fingers over and over again, making the boy moan uncontrollably.

"OK, are you ready?"

"yes…ahhh..yes please Soubi!" Soubi then gently removed his fingers from the boy, lifted him up off his lap and laid him down on the bed. He positioned himself between his small legs and teasingly pressed his member against the boy's entrance. Then with one swift movement, he entered the boy completely, burying his member deep inside of him. This drew a few very small tears from the boy's eyes from the pain and uncomfortable feeling. Soubi was still for a moment waiting for the boy to adjust to the feeling. After only a moment he got the approval he was looking for.

"Nnnhnn..Soubi…move!" Soubi was happy to do as he was told. He slowly pulled his hips back and thrust himself back into the tight hole. Soubi was rewarded with a loud moan of pleasure from his lover. He thrust again into the boy, this time hitting directly on that sweet spot, making Ritsuka buck his hips hard. Soubi then began to pound that spot again and again until Ritsuka was screaming in pleasure and grabbing onto the older man, scratching his nails across his back causing Soubi to increase the rhythm. The sounds escaping from the boy's mouth was the sweetest thing Soubi had ever heard and it drove him crazy, but what really got Soubi going was when Ritsuka began moaning orders at him.

"Ah! Soubi! Faster!" Soubi happily quickened the pace until they fell into a rhythm of thrust and hips bucking up to meet them. Soubi couldn't help but cry out in pleasure at the motion, moaning deeply with every thrust.

"R-Ritsuka!"

Soubi then reached his hand down to meet Ritsuka's throbbing member again, stroking it in rhythm with his thrusts. This was enough to drive Ritsuka over the edge. He could feel his stomach getting tight and tingling.

"Soubi! Ahhh! I'm going to cum! Don't stop!" Soubi defiantly had no intention of stopping, he picked up the pace of his hand on Ritsuka's erection and made one last hard deep thrust into the boy bringing them both to ecstasy at the same time.

"Soubi! Ahh!"

"Ritsuka!"

They both screamed in pleasure as Soubi's essence filled the small boy, and Ritsuka came onto Soubi chest. Exhausted, Soubi finally collapsed onto the bed next to his worn out lover, both of them gasping for breath. Once they both caught their breath, Soubi rolled over to face his bright red faced lover who was covered in sweat and took his face into his hands and gave him a gentle passionate kiss.

"Ritsuka…I love you."

"I love you too."

Both of them were far too tired to move, let alone get up out of bed, so Soubi wrapped his arms around his lover and held him tightly. As Soubi watched the small boy drift quickly off to sleep, fighting off sleep himself, he finally noticed that the delicate black pointed ears and slender thin tail on his lover slowly fade and then disappear completely. Soubi finally let himself start to fall asleep, reassured that this wasn't a dream and that in the morning Ritsuka would awake missing the appendages that have represented his innocence as a child. Soubi was comforted by the thought that when they awoke they would wake as lovers and partners, bound by a love that nothing could ever defeat.

 

**TBC**


	11. Loveless

The morning after the duo's intimate encounter, Ritsuka was the first to awake. He let out a small yawn and stretched his arms up high into the air. He then gazed over to see his fighter still fast asleep, now back in his tight black jeans, so he decided he would let him sleep in. He gently crawled out of the bed and rustled through the pile of clothes on the floor in a groggy daze to find his little black shorts and slipped them back on. Ritsuka decided that he needed a really nice hot shower so he made his way down the long hardwood hallway to the master bathroom. He entered the bathroom and immediately turned on the water to allow it warm up, as he was waiting he caught his own gaze in the mirror and let out a small gasp as he saw himself for the very first time without his cat ears. He then reached behind himself and felt the spot where his tail used to be and felt nothing. He stared at his new look in the mirror until it fogged up to the point that he could no longer see himself, this snapped him out of his daze enough to remove his shorts and climb into the shower. As the water flowed over him, he couldn't help but to run his hands across his head over and over again, still trying to get used to absence of the ears that he had all his life.

'Wow…they are really gone.' This was the only thought running through his mind as he washed his hair in the soothing warm water.

Meanwhile back in the bedroom, Soubi still laid in the king sized bed fast asleep. That was until something woke him up rather suddenly.

"AHH!" Soubi sat up quickly in the bed and knew right away that the sound that awoke him was the sound of Ritsuka screaming form the bathroom. Soubi immediately jumped out of bed and ran down the hallway (he was really hoping this pattern would not continue forever) to the bathroom and flung the door open. Once again, he pulled back the shower curtain (turning the water off immediately) to find Ritsuka, at least standing this time, with his both hands clasping onto his chest.

"Soubi! It burns!" The boy shouted as tears ran down his cheeks. Soubi pulled the boy out of the shower and sat his naked body down onto the toilet seat, Ritsuka the whole while clutching his chest in pain.

"Ritsuka, move your hands, let me see." Soubi's voice was very soft and caring, trying to keep the boy calm. Ritsuka hesitantly obliged but refused to open his eyes fearing to see something awful. As the boy slowly moved his hands away from his chest Soubi took a good look at the area. He could see that it was bright red as if he had been slapped very hard, but other than that there was no obvious injury or trauma. Soubi was trying to figure out what could be causing the boy to be in such a great amount of pain, but couldn't. After a few seconds of examining the area however, Soubi's eyes grew wide as he noticed something beginning to appear. It was very faint at first, but after another few seconds Soubi could finally see what the source of the pain was. To Soubi's great relief he could see it very clearly now; there across Ritsuka's chest, stretching from collar bone to collar almost mimicking a necklace, was a word written in bold capital letters: "Loveless".

Soubi then brushed his hand gently through Ritsuka's hair in an attempt to sooth him.

"Ritsuka, its ok, open your eyes and look for yourself." Feeling comforted by Soubi's voice, Ritsuka slowly opened his eyes and stood, stepping up to the mirror that was still completely fogged over. He took one of his shaking hands and wiped away a large portion of the fog on the mirror. He stared in awe at what he was seeing, tracing every single letter with his fingers.

"I-it's my name…but why now? Because I lost my ears?"

"No. A unit's name usually appears once the fighter and sacrifice recognize each other and fully embrace each other as partners."

"But…wouldn't that mean that-" Ritsuka's question was answered before he could even ask, by the sight of Soubi falling to knees clutching his chest in the exact same spot. After a few seconds Soubi removed his hands to reveal the same word in the exact same spot as Ritsuka's. Ritsuka quickly grabbed a towel to wrap around his waist and fell to his knees to meet Soubi on the bathroom floor, although he was now absolutely confused.

"Soubi, I don't understand how this is possible? You were Beloved, how can you switch names?"

After regaining his composure, Soubi finally answered Ritsuka's questions.

"Well before I was given to Seimei, I was a blank fighter. When Seimei and I finally met, he carved his name into me to make me his and from that point on I was Beloved's fighter unit. When Seimei died however, I became a blank fighter again, that's why the scars have faded away. But, I have never heard of a blank having a name appear on its own, it should be impossible. Even I don't completely understand."

Ritsuka was in complete shock at this point. 'How could this happen and what does it mean?'

"So what do we do Soubi? We have to figure out what this means."

"I'm afraid we might have to seek advice from someone who knows more than I do." He paused for a moment as his expression became very distained. "We are going to have to go see Ritsu-sensei." Ritsuka could tell by his voice that Soubi was none too thrilled with this. Ritsuka didn't mind Ritsu all that much, but he did know Soubi's past with him and could understand why he felt the way he did. Ritsuka then scooted across the floor a little to be closer to Soubi and looked up loving into those beautiful silver eyes.

"Soubi, I know you don't want to go see him, but if he is really the only one that can help us understand, then we need to." He then gave Soubi the most beautiful smile. "But I'll be by your side the entire time."

It gave Soubi great comfort to see his sacrifice smile at him that way and say such sweet things. Soubi then placed the boy's face in his hands and pulled him into a tender kiss, as his way of thanking Ritsuka for staying by his side even in his moments of weakness. Soubi then broke the kiss and stood up, pulling Ritsuka up by his hands as well.

"Well we had better go get dressed then." Ritsuka simply nodded in agreement.

To two of them then walked back down the hallway together toward the bedroom, Ritsuka drying his hair with another towel along the way. Upon arriving in the bedroom, Soubi began to dig around in his closet to find a clean shirt to wear, while Ritsuka slipped back into his jeans and baggy sweater (seeing as he didn't actually have any clothes at Soubi's yet). Once Soubi was dressed, he turned to his sacrifice to find him sitting up on his knees on the bed, waiting patiently with a cute smile on his face. Overtaken by his cuteness, Soubi walked over to the bed and leaned down to trap the boy's lips in another tender kiss, making Ritsuka blush just a little. Upon breaking the kiss, Ritsuka let out a small gasp of pain.

"Are you ok?" Soubi enquired with a worried expression.

"Yeah I'm ok, my chest just hurt again for a second."

"Oh, ok." Soubi replied calmly, assuming that the new name across the boy's chest was just naturally still causing him a little pain. "Well shall we get going then?" Ritsuka smiled and nodded at the tall blonde. The two then left the bedroom, went down the stairs, and exited the house hand in hand. They climbed into Soubi's car and began their long drive to the academy. Both of them blissfully unaware however, that the small pain in Ritsuka's chest back in the bedroom was not what Soubi had assumed. Since the boy was already wearing his large baggy sweater, neither one of them noticed that that small pain was accompanied by a very small fracture mark appearing on the large "L" that was now on the boy's chest, as if the letter had been broken somehow.

**TBC**


	12. Bonded

"Soubi look, it's starting to snow" Ritsuka squealed as he leaned forward to peer out of the windshield and up into the sky to watch the snowflakes drift down from the dark clouds.

"So it is. It's finally the first snow of winter." Soubi gave a smile at this idea; he really loved the snow. He loved how it blanketed everything in white so beautifully; it reminded him of a blank canvas.

"How much longer until we get to the academy?" The question snapped Soubi out his day dream.

"About twenty minutes."

Ritsuka replied with just a sigh of discontent, he forgot how far away this place was. He was happy though, that it was at least a beautiful drive with lots of trees and hills, he really loved the way that the now setting sun silhouetted them. Ritsuka gazed out of the window and slowly slipped away into his own thoughts.

'I wonder how everyone at school is doing. I can't believe I've let myself miss a whole month of school, I'm sure teacher has been worried, and I hope Yuiko is doing OK.' Ritsuka then made an odd realization. 'Huh…Yuiko hasn't called me once since I've been gone. She usually calls me five times if I miss one day…I really hope she is ok.'

Finally after twenty minutes, the car pulled up to the large iron gates that surrounded the Sentouki academy. Soubi rolled his window down and pulled up to the small intercom at the gate's entrance. A voice immediately came through the speaker.

"Identify yourself."

"Agatsuma Soubi and Aoyagi Ritsuka. We are here to see Ritsu-sensei."

Without even a reply from the intercom, the gates slowly began to swing open and Soubi continued the drive up to the academy that sat high up on a hill. When they finally pulled up to front entrance of the large two story school, Soubi parked the car and got out, followed by Ritsuka. After getting out of the car, Ritsuka looked around the dark campus and didn't see a single other person. He thought it was rather odd, it was only just now night time, and the last time he was here there were students all over the place doing all sorts of exercises day and night.

"Hey Soubi, where do you think everyone is?" Ritsuka inquired as he quickly latched onto Soubi's arm for comfort.

"Well, I believe that Ritsu has put a new curfew in place, as well as added security, after Seimei and Nisei attacked the academy."

"Oh." This was all Ritsuka replied as his mind was taken suddenly back to the attack on the academy. He had actually almost forgotten about all that, or more accurately, he had chosen not to remember. He hated thinking about all the suffering that Seimei has caused.

Right as they approached the large double doors of the building, one of the doors suddenly flung open and out stepped a small blue haired women dressed in a rather eccentric black dress.

"Nagisa."

"Soubi."

The two addressed each other in short cold voices and shot sharp glares at each other, as if they were hated rivals. Ritsuka could sense the tension in the air, so he decided just to stay quite.

"What is your business here Soubi?"

"We have come to see Ritsu." Soubi made sure to add extra emphasis on the "we" part of that statement. He knew just how much she disliked Sacrifices, and it was the one thing he hated about her most, so he always took great care to remind her of Ritsuka's presence.

"We?" Nagisa then looked all around very sarcastically as if she didn't see anyone else except herself and Soubi. "Oh, I see you brought him with you." She said in a disgusted tone of voice.

Ritsuka could feel the muscles in Soubi's arm flex as he tightened his fists at the way this woman spoke about him. He then quickly tugged down gently on Soubi's arm to try and turn his attention away from her. His plan worked and Soubi turned his attention to Ritsuka, his expression changing back to normal in an instant. As Soubi looked down at the worried expression on Ritsuka's face, he decided that Nagisa wasn't worth it; he just wanted to get the answers they came for and get out of there.

"Nagisa, will you please inform Ritsu-sensei that we have come to see him." Soubi now smiled as he spoke to her in an attempt to be pleasant.

"Fine, fine. Follow me."

Soubi and Ritsuka complied and followed Nagisa into the schools large lobby. The room was very dark and the entire building was eerily quiet. The quietness made Ritsuka hold on to Soubi's arm even tighter, which didn't bother Soubi a bit.

"This way."

They continued to follow her up the stairs and down a large hallway, until she stopped in front of a door with a name written on it. It read "Ritsu-sensei".

"Wait here." She then opened the door and slipped inside the room, closing the door behind her.

As soon as the door closed, Ritsuka looked up at Soubi's face and saw a rather worried expression.

"Are you okay Soubi?" Soubi looked over at the small boy attached to his arm and smiled.

"I'm ok, I promise." Soubi's words betrayed his true feelings however; he hated just having to be around Ritsu, let alone having to ask for his help. Ritsu had always been so incredibly cruel to him and he would always resent him for it but regardless he still respected his teacher. It is because of Ritsu that he is the Sentouki that he is today after all.

After a few minutes of standing quietly in the empty hallway, Nagisa reappeared out of the room.

"You may go see him now." As she stepped aside from the door, she shot one last remark at Ritsuka this time. "Oh and by the way, I like your knew look kid." She then laughed as she walked away.

Her comment made Ritsuka blush wildly as he realized that she was referring to his lack of ears, but he quickly composed himself and refocused on the task ahead. Ritsuka then took the lead and pushed open the door to Ritsu's office. When they entered the small room they saw the tall blonde man sitting at his desk typing away at his computer. They stood in silence for a moment until Soubi finally spoke.

"I see you have managed to continue working even in your condition."

"Well someone has to run this place and it wasn't hard to have all my things converted into brail; although learning it was troublesome."

This made Ritsuka's chest tighten up slightly; he still felt responsible for what happened to Ritsu. Ritsuka felt that if he hadn't been at the academy that night then Seimei wouldn't have attacked this place and he wouldn't have blinded Ritsu-sensei.

"So, to what do I owe this visit Soubi?" Ritsu asked as he closed his laptop and rolled his chair away from his desk a little.

"Well-" Soubi was cut off before he could even begin. Ritsuka wanted to make sure that his presence was known.

"We have some questions we would like to ask you." Ritsuka's voice did in fact make his presence known.

"Ah! Ritsuka, I'm glad to have here once more." Ritsu's voice perked up quite a bit; he actually liked Ritsuka, he admired his strength and conviction, and always enjoyed his company.

"Thank you for having us." Ritsuka replied trying to be as polite as possible, still feeling bad about Ritsu's blindness.

"So, what would you two like to know?" Ritsuka again was the one to answer.

"Well, earlier this evening my name appeared."

"It did? How interesting. So, you have found Loveless's Sentouki. How are you dealing with that Soubi?"

Soubi wasn't even given a chance to reply before Ritsuka continued.

"Well the reason we came to see you is because…after my name appeared it did appear on another, it appeared on Soubi."

"Really? Well that is very interesting." Ritsu then leaned forward in his chair slightly. "So what is your question?"

"Well, we want to know how this is possible. I know Soubi was a blank before he was Beloved's Sentouki, so I don't understand how my name appeared on him on its own."

"Well it appears that Soubi was never actually a blank to begin with. " Ritsuka was rather shocked by this statement. Ritsuka quickly looked up to see Soubi's eyes grow wide and his face get pale as if he had seen a ghost.

"H-how could you not have known that he wasn't a blank?" Ritsuka's voice was very anxious and confused.

"I was simply wrong. You see, blanks are not something that we manufacture like the Zero's. Blanks are something that does indeed occur naturally. No one is really sure how it is decided that someone will be blank, no more than we know how our names are decided, but we do know that we cannot create one. This means that we can never be entirely sure if someone is a blank, but we do usually assume so once they reach a certain age and still have not found their partner. So the fact that your name has now appeared on Soubi means that I was wrong when I made that assumption. "

Ritsuka and Soubi were both completely silent as they let all this new information sink in. After a few minutes, Soubi finally spoke.

"Ritsu, Ritsuka and I have been together for almost a year now, why have our names appeared just now?"

"Well a pair's name usually appears when they first meet their partner; sometimes it takes a little while and won't appear until the two recognize each other as a pair, but it wouldn't take this long. But when you first met Ritsuka, Seimei was still alive and you still bore his name. The fact that your true name didn't appear then was most likely because of the power that Seimei held over you, and we still are not sure how Seimei was able to do this, but he was somehow able to keep claims on you over your true name. When Seimei died however, your true name was free to make itself present; but why it took this long, I'm not entirely sure. Although…I do have a theory." With that, Ritsu suddenly rolled his chair forward toward where Ritsuka was standing and pulled the boy forcefully down onto his lap. Ritsuka was completely caught off guard by this and tried to struggle free, but he was restrained by Ritsu's strong arms wrapped around his waist.

"Ritsuka, calm down please." Ritsuka begrudgingly did as he was told, not that he actually had a choice. Once he stopped struggling, Ritsu's hands made their way off of the boy's waist to the top of his head and he began to run his hands all the way across his head. He then released the boy from his grasp, and Ritsuka sprang up from his lap and ran back to Soubi, clamping down on his arm once again.

"So I see. That must be why. It seems you two are just full of surprises. I believe that your names appeared due to the loss of Ritsuka's ears. That must have been what it took for you two to fully embrace each other as partners. It is unusual but not completely unheard of."

A huge wave of relief rushed over both Soubi and Ritsuka, but it hit Soubi the hardest. Ritsuka could feel him trembling and suddenly he fell to his knees.

"Soubi! What's wrong?" Ritsuka quickly followed him onto the floor. Soubi's face was hidden completely behind his long blonde hair, but Ritsuka could see tears falling to the floor.

"Ritsu, are you sure? Are you sure that I am Ritsuka's true Sentouki?" Soubi almost whispered these questions at his teacher, who was still completely calm and collected.

"Yes Soubi, you and Ritsuka are Loveless." This caused even more tears to fall from the blonde's face.

"Soubi why are you-" Ritsuka's words were cut off by the feeling of Soubi's large soft hands pulling his face to his own, locking their lips together, stealing the breathe from Ritsuka's lungs and turning his cheeks bright red.

"Ritsuka…I always thought I was just a blank canvas, to be marked upon, erased, discarded, and then passed along. But this…this name you have given me, makes me feel something I have never felt before. Even when I belonged to Seimei, I never felt as though I was connected him, how could I feel that connection being a blank? But now I know that I was fated to a partner, but not just any partner, to you. It is something that I have dreamt of ever since the first day I met you, but something I always thought to be impossible. But my dreams have become reality now…I-I'm so happy Ritsuka…I will never stop fighting for you."

"S-Soubi…" Ritsuka was completely speechless. He was used to Soubi being blunt and honest, but never about things like this. He has no idea that Soubi would ever open up this much, but he was happy. Ritsuka hadn't even noticed the small tears that had now began to flow from his own eyes. Ritsuka then embraced Soubi tightly as they sat on the floor of Ritsu's office. The two of them were snapped out of their blissful state by the sound of Ritsu coughing, reminded them that they were still in his office. The two of them quickly stood up and regained their composer.

"S-sorry Ritsu-Sensei, that was just a lot to take in." Ritsuka apologized as he wiped the tears from his eyes.

"It's fine. I understand. I am glad that I could be of help to you. Make sure to take care of my star pupil Ritsuka." Ritsu gave the boy a small smile.

"I will." Ritsuka said with a smile on his face as well. "Thank you so very much for all your-" Ritsuka stopped his sentence and gasped as he clutched his chest.

"Are you alright Ritsuka? Is it your name again? Mine hurts as well." Soubi inquired in a worried tone.

"Yeah, but it's ok."

"Soubi, what do you mean your names hurt again?" Ritsu asked very intrigued.

"Its nothing, the place where our name appeared has just been painful a few times since is appeared"

"Hmm… That shouldn't happen." Ritsuka was taken aback by this, seeing as Soubi had assured him that this was normal.

"What do you mean it shouldn't happen?"

"It's true that when your name first appears it can sometimes be painful, but once it appears there shouldn't be any pain afterword." Ritsu's face became rather puzzled and he appeared to be deep in thought. "Hmm….I wonder…."

"You wonder what?!" Ritsuka exclaimed, now scared that something bad was happening.

"Ritsuka, have you looked at your name at all after any bouts of pain?"

"Well…no. I thought it was normal."

"Ritsuka, please look at your name now."

Ritsuka was very nervous to do so, but he complied and stepped up to a small mirror that was hanging on the wall. He slowly removed his large blue sweater and was shocked by what he saw.

"What do you see Ritsuka?"

"M-my name…it has cracks. T-two of them. The L in my name has cracks! What is happening?!"

Soubi could only look on in awe at what was happening.

"You two are very unique indeed. I have heard myths about this happening, but I never thought it was actually possible."

"What is happening to me?!" Ritsuka was now getting very frustrated with the situation.

"Well your name is your fate; it shows your true nature. It is destined before you are born and it was links a Sacrifice and Sentouki. But you absolutely cannot go against your name. You are Loveless, one without love. Your name is the reason why your mother and brother acted the way they did towards you, it is why you have always had trouble making friends, its why you have always found it so difficult to love others. As for Soubi, it also explains why he has had the same type of troubles. Loveless is your nature. But you two have managed to do the impossible by overcoming everything that has happened and you both have become loved by another person and have learned to truly love another, by doing this you have managed to defy your names. It is something that is completely unheard of except in myths."

"S-so what does that mean?"

"It means that you two share a bond that is so strong that even your names cannot defy you, this is why it is cracking. You two are actually overpowering your name. And every time you two get closer and your bond strengthens, it will continue to crack under the pressure. But it also means that you two are most likely the most powerful pair known in existence."

All this information was shooting through the minds of both Ritsuka and Soubi. This was something that not even Soubi believed was ever possible. They were both in a stunned silence until Ritsuka could gain control of his voice enough to speak.

"I-I can't believe this…we are defying our name…this is all so much…"

"Ritsuka, Soubi, I know this is a lot to take in, but you both have to stay strong. It is very important that you two are careful."

"Careful? Of what?"

"In a normal pair, if one of them dies, the other will sometimes die as well form the trauma of the bond being broken. In most cases however, the living partner will carry on and either get a blank replacement or retire completely. But with you two, because your bond is stronger than any other known, if something were to happen to either of you, the other will most definitely die as well." Soubi finally snapped out of his daze to reply.

"I will never let anything happen to Ritsuka!"

"That's good Soubi, but you must also take great care of yourself, if you were to die it would kill Ritsuka as well."

"Understood." Soubi's voice became very serious as if he was given a command.

"Now, I have a question for you Loveless."

They both looked at Ritsu puzzled as to what he could possibly want from them.

"What is that?" Ritsuka asked courageously, ready to take on anything at this point.

"Would you two be interested in working for me?"

"Why do you want us to work for you?"

"Well for one, you two are going to need to train extensively in order to learn to control your new power. Secondly, there are always missions I need taken care, and it would be good to have an ace in the hole for situations that no one else can handle, or for anything else I might need you for. So you would work for me, and in return it would help you too learn how to handle your overwhelming power."

Ritsuka was not at all sure about this, so he turned to Soubi for advice.

"What do you think Soubi?"

"Whatever Ritsuka wants, I want. I will gladly go to battle for you every day for the rest of my life."

This wasn't of too much help to Ritsuka, so he sat and thought for a minute on what he should do. 'I don't know exactly what Ritsu-sensei would have us do, but I guess it couldn't hurt and if it would help us get stronger it might be worth it.'

"Yes. We will work for you. But you must be available to help us with anything we may need."

"Of course Ritsuka, I will always be here to help. I'm glad you accept my offer. Here take this." Ritsu ruffled through the drawers of his desk and pulled out a small blue cell phone. He opened it, pressed a few buttons then handed it to Ritsuka.

"This is how I will contact you for missions. No one else will ever contact this phone, and you will use to contact no one else. Understood?"

"Yes, we understand."

"Good. I will contact you when I have a mission for you. Until then, do you have any other questions?"

Ritsuka looked at Soubi for an answer. Soubi simply shook his head no.

"No, that is all. Thank you very much for all your help Sensei."

"You are welcome."

With that, the two of them turned back toward the door and left the office with their heads held high. They began back down the long hallway and back down the stairs to the lobby of the academy. When they exited out of the front entrance, the snow was falling much harder now and it was much colder. Before returned to the car, Soubi suddenly picked up his sacrifice and embraced him tightly.

"Ritsuka, I love you." Soubi's face was graced with a beautiful smile that made Ritsuka's heart melt. He had never seen Soubi happy like this before.

"I love you too Soubi."

The two then climbed back into the car, and made their way down the drive way and out through the gate again, putting the Sentouki academy in their rear view mirror, at least for now.

Ritsu watched out of his window as the car pulled away and as soon as it was out of sight, he picked up his cell phone and typed a number in the key pad.

" _hello?"_

"It's Ritsu. I want you to move Limitless into advanced training first thing in the morning"

" _Yes sir."_

Ritsu then hung up the phone without another word.

'This is will be very interesting indeed'

**TBC**


	13. Back To School

Almost as soon as their long drive home began, Soubi looked over to his young sacrifice in the seat next to him to see him fast asleep with his head resting against the glass of the window. The sight made Soubi smile; he always thought Ritsuka looked so peaceful when he slept. His sleeping companion left him alone with only his thoughts. All of the new information they had just gained was repeating itself over and over again in Soubi's mind. The magnitude of it all was almost too much to handle, even for someone as strong as Soubi; this thought alone made Soubi admire the young boy's strength even more. Soubi was still somewhat stunned by everything they learned that evening. He could have never imagined that after living his entire life as blank, feeling like nothing more than a replacement, that he now truly belonged to someone; and not in the way that he belonged to Ritsu or Seimei, he was no longer just a possession to be used and abused, for the first time in his life he felt like his own person. The best part of all this though, was that Soubi's biggest fear had now been put to rest. The thing that Soubi was afraid of more than anything else, more than graves or the dark, was the idea that one day Ritsuka's Sentouki would appear and take him away. This fear had consumed Soubi even since the first day they met. He couldn't bear the idea of someone else fighting for Ritsuka, holding him, caressing him, kissing him. He would never admit it but, when he fell to the floor in Ritsu's office was more due to this overwhelming fear being yanked away from him, the relief was unbelievable.

After being lost in his thoughts for the entire drive home, Soubi snapped out of it as the car pulled up in front of their home. Soubi let out a relieved sigh and quietly shut the car off and slipped out of the driver side door. He then walked around to the passenger side, opened the door and gently picked Ritsuka up out of the car, trying not to wake him. He carried the sleeping boy through the front gate and up to the door. He carefully pushed open the door, went inside and proceeded up the stairs to the master bedroom, Ritsuka held tightly in his arms. Once arriving in the bedroom, Soubi softly set the boy onto the bed and gently unbuttoned his jeans and slid them off his legs. He then slowly lifted the large sweater off his body, leaving him in nothing but his boxers (he was really surprised at how sound of a sleeper he was). Soubi paused for a moment to take in the sight of his lover; his eyes scanned the boy from top to bottom admiring his beauty. Soubi then ruffled through his dresser drawers and found a pair of pajama pants and a matching shirt that the Natsuo left behind when he and Youji moved out; Natsuo was about the same size as Ritsuka so he knew they would fit well enough. He went back over to the bed and slipped the clothes onto Ritsuka's still sleeping form before pulling the covers over the boy and placing a small kiss on his forehead. Soubi then lifted off his own shirt to get ready for bed. After removing his shirt, he stopped for moment and turned to look into the large mirror that stood atop his dresser. As he gazed into the mirror, his long slender fingers traced over the letters across his chest, this was the first time he noticed the cracks on his name that matched Ritsuka's. He still couldn't believe that he had a name of his own and on top of that, that he and Ritsuka were defying it. Regardless of the cracks that ran through his name, Soubi still thought it was beautiful. After another moment, Soubi walked over to the bed and crawled underneath the covers, still in his tight black jeans (he really did enjoy sleeping in them). As he crawled into bed, he wrapped his large arms around the sleeping figure next to him, pulling him closer to be pressed right up against him. Soubi was filled with warmth as he drifted off to sleep with a smile on his face, thinking to himself that tomorrow would be the start of his and Ritsuka's new life together as Loveless.

As morning came, all was quiet in the large home and the sunlight was now making its way through the large bay window of the bedroom. The bright sunlight flowing into the room caused Soubi to stir from his sleep. Once he opened his eyes fully he immediately realized that Ritsuka was no longer in the bed next to him. Soubi quickly sat up in the bed and looked around the room for any signs of the boy, slightly worried as to where he may have gone. His worry was quickly put to rest when he looked down on the pillow that lie next to him and saw a small note. He picked it up and read it out loud to himself with a smile.

"Went to school. Be back later. Love Ritsuka." Soubi then leaned back against the head board of his bed, smiling, and read the note to himself one more time before laying it down on the night stand next to him. He then lifted the covers off of himself and got up out of the bed, stretching his arms high above his head and let out a large yawn, before heading down the stairs and toward to the guest bedroom.

"Well, I guess I'll pack up all of Kio's things today. I think I'll turn this room into a studio." Soubi spoke aloud to himself as be looked over all the things in the smaller guest room that Kio used to reside in. He then slowly got to work on collecting everything up, getting it ready to be sent to the college.

Meanwhile…

After a short walk through the new snow that now blanked the streets and sidewalks, Ritsuka made a quick pit stop on his way to school. He stopped into a small costume shop and picked up a pair of false ears and a false tail that matched his old ones exactly; he really didn't want everyone at school to know that he had lost his ears. Ritsuka then left the shop and put on his false appendages. After another short walk he arrived at the gates of the elementary school. He was incredibly excited to see all of his friends. He was slightly worried though that his teacher would be rather upset about him missing a whole month, but he knew that Shinonome-Sensei would understand if he just explained to her what happened. Ritsuka then took in a deep breathe of the cold winter air and headed into the building. As Ritsuka walked up the stairs toward his classroom everything at the school seemed just as he had left it; there were other kids running all around the hallways, talking and playing with each other, all of them waiting for the bell to ring to signal that it was time for class to begin. Ritsuka decided that he was going to class a little early so that he could see all his friends before class started. Upon arriving at his classroom, he slid open the door with a big smile on his face. As soon as he stepped into the room he took a good look around the room and saw all those familiar faces, except for two; he didn't see Yuiko or Yayoi anywhere, but he thought that maybe they just hadn't arrived yet. He then walked over to his teacher, who had her face buried in some papers.

"Good morning Sensei!" Just the sound of his voice snapped her out of her paperwork.

"Ritsuka-kun! I'm so relieved to see you back at school." She then stood up from her desk and looked over at the clock to see that there was still a few minutes before class started. "Ritsuka-kun, will you please step into the hallway with me for a moment?" Ritsuka just gave her a nod and followed her to the hallway. Once in the hallway, Shinonome-Sensei closed the classroom door behind her and leaned down to be closer to Ritsuka's eye level.

"Ritsuka-kun, I have been so worried about you, it isn't like you to miss this much school. Is everything ok?" Ritsuka was expecting this question but hadn't actually thought about how much he wanted to tell her about what happened.

"Everything is ok Sensei. I had to take care of my mother for a while, and then I actually moved so that took a while as well. I'm sorry for being absent for so long. Will I be able to make up everything I missed?" Ritsuka knew that this wasn't the whole truth, but he didn't want to tell her the whole story.

"Oh I see. Well I'm just very relieved to have you back, and yes you will be able to make up all your missed lessons." As soon as she said this the bell rang for class to start.

"Thank you Sensei." Ritsuka gave her a smile but he then noticed that Yuiko and Yayoi still hadn't arrived at class. So before his teacher opened the classroom door again he decided to ask her one last question.

"Oh Sensei, are Yuiko and Yayoi absent today or something?" This question made his teachers ears fall flat against her head and a small frown appear on her face.

"Umm, I can't answer that right now Ritsuka-kun, class is starting; but come and see me after class and I'll let you know about Yukio and Yayoi-kun." With that, she slid open the door and they both entered the classroom.

As Ritsuka took his seat, his mind was racing with questions.

'Why did Sensei get that look on her face? I wonder if something as happened to them. Now I'm even more worried.'

For the entire class, Ritsuka was completely unfocused on the lesson, his mind too pre occupied with the whereabouts of his friends. The whole day seemed to drag on forever until the closing bell finally rang, and all the students gathered their things and left the classroom. As soon as everyone had left the room, Ritsuka gathered up his things into his bag and walked up to his teacher's desk.

"So Sensei…where are Yuiko and Yayoi?" Shinonome let out a small sigh before answering his question.

"Well the very first day that you missed class, Yuiko-kun was very worried as she usually is. She approached me after class and told me that she was worried about you but that one of her other classmates had hidden her cell phone from her before class started and she asked me if I could try and get ahold of you. I told her that I would try, and I did, but no one was answering the phone at your home that day."

"Yeah, sorry about that, mother usually just ignores the phone when it rings."

"It's ok. But anyway, the next day came and you still weren't here. I told Yuiko-kun that I had tried but couldn't get ahold of you and she began to cry. But Yayoi-kun was very quick to comfort her. We then carried along with class as normal, but at the end of the day I saw Yayoi and Yuiko standing in the court yard together just talking like normal. They then left together that day. For the rest of that week, the two of them changed somehow. They moved seats to sit next to each other, they were together every time I saw them and since you weren't here, when Yuiko-kun was getting picked on Yayoi-kun seemed to have found his courage and always came to her defense. And this continued for the entire week following that." Ritsuka was slightly surprised that Yayoi got the courage to stand up for Yuiko, but he was glad that he was watching out for her in his absence.

"So then where are they today Sensei?" Again Shinonome sighed.

"Well two weeks ago, they both stopped coming to class. I was naturally worried so I called both of their parents. When I got into contact with them, both families gave me the same story; I was told that they had both transferred schools." Ritsuka was incredibly shocked by this.

"They both just transferred schools? Have you heard from either of them at all?"

"Yes they did, and no, I was actually hoping you had heard from them."

"No I haven't. I thought it was really odd that Yuiko hadn't called me once since I had been gone."

"I was afraid of that." She then let out a depressed sigh once again. "Well that's the whole story Ritsuka-kun. I'm very sorry."

"It's ok Sensei. Thank you for telling me what happened." Ritsuka then gave his teacher a reassuring smile. "I'm sure we will hear from them soon" This did make Shinonome perk up a little bit.

"Yes, I'm sure we will. You should probably head on home now."

"Yeah I should. Goodbye Sensei, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodbye Ritsuka-kun."

Ritsuka then left the classroom and headed down the stairs and began his walk home. The whole walk home Ritsuka's mind was racing.

'I can't believe they transferred schools without even telling me. That's really not like them, especially Yuiko. I'm defiantly going to have to try and find out what school they moved to. I really hope they are ok.'

When Ritsuka finally arrived in front of Soubi's house he removed his false ears and tail and put them in his bag. He knew how much Yamato hated it when Kouya wore hers, so he wasn't sure how Soubi would feel about the matter. After he had them safely put away in his bag, he proceeded to the front door and went inside, taking off his coat and shoes in the entry way. After walking past the entry way and into the large open living room of the house, he noticed a bunch of boxes stacked up against the wall in the living room. He also noticed that Soubi was nowhere to be seen, so he called out for him.

"Soubi! I'm home." He immediately heard reply coming from down the hall.

"Welcome home Ritsuka! I'm in the guest room." Ritsuka then made his way to the guest room. As soon as he entered the small room, he noticed that all of Kio's things were now gone and in their place was a small desk accompanied by a rolling chair, as well as several beautiful paintings hung up on the walls. He then saw Soubi setting up a large easel in the corner of the room.

"Wow Soubi, this room looks completely different." He then walked over to one of the paintings on the wall and ran a small hand along the frame. The picture he had stepped up to was a beautiful scene of cherry blossoms with a large butterfly in the center of the piece.

"Did you paint all these Soubi?" Soubi then stopped what he was doing to turn towards Ritsuka and gave him a big smile.

"Yes I did. Do you like them?"

"They are beautiful, I love them." Soubi then noticed exactly which painting Ritsuka was admiring.

"You know, I painted that one for you." This made Ritsuka blush slightly.

"Really?"

"Yes; cherry blossoms have always reminded me of you. They are so beautiful and delicate, and yet they are resilient and still continue to bloom even in the cold of winter. And I know you always think of me when you see a butterfly, so I wanted to paint something that I could look at and be reminded of the bond we share." This made Ritsuka blush wildly now; he was really growing to love the sweet things that Soubi said to him.

"Well I love it." Ritsuka then gave a sweet smile and ran over to the tall blonde and wrapped his arms around his waist, embracing him tightly. Soubi quickly scooped the boy up and locked his lips in a sweet gentle kiss, before setting him back down.

"So how was your day at school Ritsu-kun?" This question immediately shifted Ritsuka's mood back to being worried and confused.

"It wasn't very good." Soubi could hear the sad tone in Ritsuka's voice and it made him very concerned.

"What happened?"

"Well Yuiko and Yayoi weren't there today. So I asked Sensei about it, and she said that they transferred schools."

"Transferred? That's odd. Do you know where they transferred to?"

"No." Soubi could now see tears swelling up in those deep purple eyes and knew that he had to do something; he absolutely hated seeing Ritsuka cry. So he gently pulled Ritsuka close to him and wrapped his arms around him, allowing Ritsuka to bury his face into Soubi's stomach.

"Ritsuka, I will find out where they went. I don't want anything to cause you pain, so I won't stop searching until I find out where your friends have gone. I promise." Ritsuka was filled with warmth and relief at this statement; he knew that if anybody could figure this out, Soubi could. Ritsuka then pulled away from Soubi slightly, wiped away the single tear that had fallen down his cheek and gave Soubi a smile.

"Thank you Soubi." He then stood on his tip toes and wrapped his small arms around Soubi's neck pulling him down into a passionate kiss. Their kiss was interrupted however as Ritsuka and Soubi fell to the floor simultaneously, both of them clutching their chests in pain. After a few seconds, the pain had passed and Ritsuka looked up at Soubi.

"I guess we added another crack."

"It would appear so. Are you okay Ritsuka?"

"Yeah, I'm fine now. I hope that maybe the pain will get tolerable at some point though."

"I agree."

The two of them then lifted themselves off the floor of the studio and Soubi took Ritsuka by the hand and led him into the kitchen and sat him down at the table.

"What would you like for diner? I will make you anything you like." Ritsuka sat in his chair and thought for a moment on what sounded good.

"Mmm, Ramen."

"Ramen? Are sure that's all you want?"

"Yes, I really like ramen." Ritsuka then gave Soubi the cutest smile, and Soubi couldn't refuse.

After making each of them a bowl, Soubi sat down at the table and watched in delight as Ritsuka enjoyed his diner. As he began to eat his own ramen, Soubi's mind then started racing with thoughts on how he was going to find out where Yuiko and Yayoi attended school now. He knew it wasn't going to be easy, but he wanted nothing more than for Ritsuka to be happy, so he knew he had to succeed.

After noticing that Ritsuka had finished his meal, he got up from the table and took both of their bowls to the kitchen and sat them in the sink. He then glanced over his shoulder to see the boy let out a small yawn.

"Are you ready for bed Ritsuka?" Ritsuka just nodded as stretched and yawned again.

"Then let's go to bed, and I will begin my search for Yuiko and Yayoi first thing in the morning."

"Ok." Soubi could now hear the tiredness in his voice, so he picked the boy up from the table in his usual manor and carried him up the stairs to the bedroom. After changing and getting into bed, Ritsuka feel asleep immediately. Soubi pulled the covers over the boy and then left the bedroom and headed back downstairs into his new studio. He sat down at his desk and opened up his laptop and began his search for any information about Ritsuka's missing classmates.

**TBC**


	14. Limitless

It was about 2 a.m. by the time Soubi finally closed his laptop and took off his glasses, rubbing the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"I just don't understand this. I checked the lists of students of every school in the region and neither of their names appeared anywhere. They are still listed under their same addresses, so they couldn't have moved to a school out of the region. So how can there be no records of them anywhere?"

Soubi let out a large sigh before deciding that he should try and get some sleep and just resume his search in the morning. He pushed himself away from his desk and got up out of his chair, then headed up to the bedroom. He took off his shirt and gently climbed into bed, trying not to disturb Ritsuka. He slowly let himself fall asleep even though his mind was still puzzled at the situation.

By the time Soubi woke up it was noon and Ritsuka was already off at school for the day. He slowly sat up in the bed and rubbed his eyes. When he gazed over at the clock on the night stand he quickly sprang out of bed, realizing that he over slept. He had almost forgotten that he had scheduled for a delivery truck to come pick up all of the boxes piled in his living room at noon. He hurriedly threw on a shirt, made his way down stairs and peered out of the large window in the living room. He was relieved when he looked and saw that the truck hadn't arrived yet. He then decided that to go make himself some coffee to wake him up. He walked into the kitchen and turned on the electric coffee pot and waited until he heard the small beep that signaled that the coffee was ready. He then reached into cupboard and pulled out a mug and poured the hot coffee. Before he could even take a sip, the doorbell rang. Soubi set down his cup and went to answer the door. Once he opened the door, there were two men in matching beige uniforms.

"Agatsuma Soubi?"

"Yes."

"We are here to pick up the things you called about."

"Wonderful. Right this way." Soubi then invited them into the house and showed them to living room where the boxes were.

"All of these boxes are what need to go." Without another word the two men began carrying the boxes out to the delivery truck that waited outside.

It only took about ten minutes for the men to load all the boxes into the truck. As soon as they were finished, Soubi gave them the address of the art college and asked them to deliver them to room 2-B in the main building (this being Kio's main classroom), and that they could just leave them there for the recipient. The men then got pack into their truck and drove away, Soubi closing the door behind them. He then walked back into the kitchen and quickly finished his coffee. After finishing, he walked to the front door and put on his long purple coat and headed out the front door.

"Well, I guess I'll start today by going to their homes. Hopefully I can catch them at home, or at least speak with their families." With that, Soubi made his way down the sidewalk and headed off on his mission for the day, hoping to have some answers for Ritsuka by the time he returned.

Meanwhile, unknown to Soubi, Ritsuka had decided to skip school for the day and was now arriving in front of Kouya and Yamato's apartment. He really felt like he needed someone to talk to about everything that had been going on, and since Yuiko and Yayoi were missing he turned to the only other friends he had. He approached the front door of the apartment and paused for a second before knocking to put on his false ears and tail; he wasn't sure yet exactly how and when he wanted to tell them about losing his ears. Once they were firmly in place, he knocked gently on the door. He could immediately hear Yamato's bubbly voice through the door.

"I'll get it!"

As soon as Yamato opened the door her face lit up and she pounced on the boy at her doorstep, almost knocking him over.

"Ritsuka-kun! I'm so happy to see you!" Ritsuka giggled a little at her enthusiasm.

"I'm glad to see you too Yamato."

"I was so happy when Soubi told me that you two had worked it out. IS everything still going ok?"

"Yes, everything is wonderful." He then paused for a moment and looked down at his feet. "Well actually, there had been a lot going on, I was hoping I could talk to you and Kouya about it." Yamato then gave him a big smile and pulled him by his arm, dragging him inside.

"Of course you can! Come inside, Kouya will make tea." Kouya over heard this and poked her head out from around the hallway corner.

"I will?" This just made Yamato laugh slightly.

"Yes you will." Kouya then quietly obliged and walked into the kitchen and began making tea.

Yamato pulled Ritsuka over to the kitchen table and sat him down and sat down in the chair right next to him. They were quickly joined by Kouya who handed them each a cup of honey tea. Ritsuka immediately took his cup in hand and took a big sip.

"So what is that had been going on Ritsuka-kun?" Yamato inquired with a concerned face.

"Well I don't remember much of the first night I spent at Soubi's because I fell asleep as soon as we got there. But when I woke up the next morning Soubi was gone, so I went downstairs to make some food. But when I got to the bottom of the stairs, Soubi's roommate Kio was waiting for. Long story short…he attacked me." Ritsuka then lifted one of his small hands to the small white bandage that was still placed on his cheek.

"He did!? Ritsuka I'm so sorry." Yamato placed one of her hands atop of Ritsuka's in a comforting manner.

"It's ok. Soubi kicked him out for it."

"Good!"

"Yeah but that's not even the half of it." Ritsuka paused for a moment before gathering the courage to tell them what happened next. "Later that night Soubi was trying to make me feel better and well…." Ritsuka then lifted his hands up to his head and slowly slid the false ears off his head, blushing a little as he did. The sight sent Yamato into a giddy frenzy and even made Kouya giggle a little.

"Oh my goodness! Ritsuka, you sure are a naughty little boy aren't you?!" This made Ritsuka blush even more, so he quickly moved the conversation along.

"Yeah yeah, anyways…the next morning when I get up to shower, something else happened…" Yamato was now sitting on the edge of her seat hanging on baited breathe. "…my name appeared." This made Yamato squeal in excitement.

"It did?! Where is it? Let me see." Ritsuka obliged at pulled off his sweater revealing his name that was visible just above the collar of the undershirt he was wearing.

"Aww, that's so cute. It almost looks like a necklace." Kouya then interrupted in a concerned tone.

"So Ritsuka…this means that you're true Sentouki appeared somewhere when that happened. Who is it?"

"Well, shortly after it happened, my name appeared on Soubi." This made Kouya slam her cup of tea down onto the table in shock; she knew that Soubi was a blank so this idea left her extremely confused.

"How is that possible?!"

"Yeah, how is that possible Ritsuka?" Yamato was also very confused.

"Well we went and saw Ritsu-Sensei and he basically said that he was wrong when he decided Soubi was a blank, and that he was my Sentouki all along." Yamato now sat back in her seat, relieved to learn that everything was working out for those two.

"Well that is inter-" Yamato was cut off by Kouya, who had just now pushed her glasses all the up the bridge of her nose and took a good look at the name written across Ritsuka's chest.

"Ritsuka, why does your look that way?" Yamato looked up at Kouya rather confused, then turned back to take a better look at his name. That was when she noticed the cracks.

"Well that's the interesting part. Ritsu-Sensei told us that since our name is Loveless and we have truly come to love each other, that now we are defying our name and it's cracking under the pressure." Yamato and Kouya were both almost floored by this.

"Wow! That's amazing. I didn't even know that possible."

"Yeah neither did we."

"So what else did Ritsu tell you?"

"That was about it. He did make us an offer to work for him in exchange for training though." Kouya immediately interjected in a very scary voice.

"Did you accept?!" Her attitude scared Ritsuka a little.

"Uh..Y-yes." Kouya then let out an aggravated sigh and shook her head.

"Ritsuka please listen to me, be very careful around that man. He is very crafty, and I can guarantee he has ulterior motives to you working for him. You can't trust that guy Ritsuka." Ritsuka was now beginning to regret his agreement a little bit, but he was confident that he and Soubi could handle it.

"I understand and we will be careful, I promise."

"Good. That being said, I have something for you." Kouya then left the kitchen and went down the hallway toward her bedroom, leaving Ritsuka and Yamato at the table alone.

"Well you certainly have been through a lot huh Ritsuka?"

"Yeah, it's been interesting to say the least."

"So how is school going?" Ritsuka took a moment before answering, trying to decide what to tell her. He finally decided that he didn't want to bother her with anymore of his troubles.

"It's been fine. My teacher was worried about me being absent so long, but she wasn't upset."

"Well that's good." Kouya then entered back into the kitchen with a stack of three books in her hand. She sat down back at the table and slid them over to Ritsuka.

"Here, these are my old textbooks from the academy. I don't need them anymore, and they might help you out." Ritsuka gave her a big smile.

"Thank you so much Kouya." He then gazed up at the clock on the wall and decided he should head home, so he stood up from the table, gathered his things and put his sweater back on. "Well, I better get going before Soubi starts to worry."

"Ok Ritsuka-kun. Please feel free to visit anytime." Yamato then stood up from the table and gave Ritsuka a hug.

"Thank you both so much for listening and thanks for the books Kouya."

"Anytime."

Ritsuka then made his way to the front door and exited the apartment. As he walked home he realized how much better he felt now that he was able to talk to someone about what was going on in his life. This feeling brought a smile to his face for the entire walk home. As soon as he got home, he took off his shoes and set his bag down in the entry way. He immediately saw Soubi smiling at him from the kitchen table.

"Welcome home Ritsu-kun"

"Hello Soubi."

"How was school today?"

"I actually didn't go to school today. I went to visit Yamato and Kouya; I really wanted someone to talk to."

"Tsk tsk, you shouldn't be missing anymore school." Soubi then stood up from the table and walked over to the boy then scooped him up in his arms, placing a kiss on his forehead. "But I suppose I'll forgive you this time." This made Ritsuka giggle and snuggle his face into Soubi's chest for a moment before pulling away to look up at Soubi.

"So how did your search go today? Did you figure anything out?" Soubi then gently set the boy back down onto his feet.

"Well I went and visited both their homes today." Ritsuka looked up at Soubi with an excited look on his face.

"And?"

"Well when I went to Yuiko's home, her mother answered and wasn't very pleased about an adult asking about her daughter so she only told me that she was at a boarding school. Then went I went to Yayoi's home, no one answered. So I'm afraid I wasn't very successful today." Soubi's expression was very depressed; he felt like he had let down Ritsuka. He was comforted however by Ritsuka's smiling face.

"You did succeed Soubi. You found out that they are both probably at a boarding school and that's more then we knew before. So thank you." Their loving moment was rudely interrupted by a loud ringing coming from Ritsuka's bag in the entry way.

"Ugh. Hold on a second Soubi." Ritsuka ran over to his bag and pulled out his cellphone but realized that it wasn't ringing. His stomach dropped slightly when he realized that it was the other cell phone in his bag that was ringing. He picked it up and gave Soubi a worried look before answering.

"Hello?"

" _Hello Loveless. I have an assignment for you. I need you both to come to the academy immediately."_

"What is the assignment?"

" _I will give you details upon your arrival. Understood?"_

"Understood."

*click*

Ritsuka then closed the phone and walked over to Soubi.

"We have an assignment. He said to go to the academy immediately." Ritsuka's voice was very serious. Soubi was surprised to see him taking this so seriously.

"Ok. We better get going then." The two of them both grabbed their coats, headed out the door and climbed into the car to begin the drive to the academy.

The atmosphere in the car this time was very tense; they were both very concerned about what the assignment might be. Before they knew it, they had already arrived at the academy. The front gate was already open this time so they were able to drive right through to the school. When they pulled up in front of the main building, it was just barely dusk and there were students gathered in front of the building. After parking the car, they got out and immediately saw Ritsu and Nagisa standing on the front steps of the building. They approached the two of them and Soubi was already not happy about the fact that Nagisa was there.

"Must she be here Ritsu-Sensei?"

"Yes, Nagisa will be acting as my eyes for this assignment."

"Fine. So what is our assignment?" Before Ritsu was given a chance to answer, Ritsuka heard a voice calling to him from the crowd of students. This voice made his heart flutter in his chest.

"Ritsuka-kun?!" Ritsuka quickly turned around and scanned the crowd to find the source of the voice. He finally laid his eyes on a tall pink haired girl pushing her was through the crowd.

"Y-Yuiko?!" He immediately ran over to her and threw his arms around her, trying to fight back the tears swelling up in his eyes. He then pulled away from her with a mind racing with questions.

"Yuiko, what are you doing here?" As soon as he spoke, a short boy walked up behind Yuiko, pulling her away to hide her behind his back and answered the question for her.

"We go to school here now Ritsuka-kun."

"Yayoi! You're here too. But I don't understand, how did you end up going to school here? Do you know what this place is?" This made Yayoi laugh.

"Yes we know what it is, and we are here to-" His words were cut off by Ritsu making a loud announcement.

"Attention students! I'm sure you all know of Agatsuma Soubi, but I would like you all to meet his sacrifice Aoyagi Ritsuka. Ritsuka please come up here." Ritsuka was not happy about leaving his friends just yet, but he did as he was told and stepped up to be with Soubi on the front steps of the school. This sent a series of whispers and gasps through the crowd of students. Ritsuka was now getting a little worried, so he grabbed onto Soubi's arm for comfort. Then Ritsu's announcement continued.

"As you all know, we have here at our school a pair of rising stars. They hold an impressive battle record here of 14-0. So in place of a final exam for early graduation for these two, I have decided that they will battle our guests, Loveless." This sent even more gasps across the crowd. Soubi knew that Ritsu was up to no good, but he was shocked that he was having them battle students. Soubi could feel Ritsuka clasp onto his arm tighter, so he leaned down to whisper in his ear in an attempt to comfort him.

"Don't worry Ritsuka; I won't let anyone hurt you." Ritsuka then put on a brave face and nodded at the tall blonde.

"So Loveless, are you ready to meet your opponents?" They answered in unison.

"Yes."

"Good! Will Limitless please step forward?" Ritsuka's heart was racing in anticipation. Then it felt as though his heart stopped when he saw his friends step forward to face him. He couldn't help but to cry out.

"W-wait! They are Limitless? Sensei, I can't fight them, they are my friends!" Ritsu turned toward the direction of Ritsuka's voice.

"Well I'm sorry Ritsuka, but you already agreed to work for me. I'm afraid you have no choice. Please remember that since you work for me, you are subject to any form of punishment for disobeying orders." Soubi quickly interrupted.

"You will do no such thing to Ritsuka! We will battle." Ritsuka was outraged by this.

"Soubi! How can you say that? That is Yuiko and Yayoi! We can't fight them!"

"I don't have a choice. If we don't, then Ritsu will surely cause you harm, and I can't allow that." Ritsuka was furious at this point, but his aggression was now directed at Ritsu.

"Sensei! Can I at least have a moment to speak with them first?"

"As you wish. Please make it quick."

Ritsuka then quickly ran over to Yuiko and Yayoi. He could see the pain in Yuiko's face and it made his chest feel tight. But he asked the one question that he feared the answer of most.

"S-so, who is who?" Again, Yayoi was the one to answer.

"I am Yuiko's Sentouki." This is exactly what Ritsuka was afraid of. He knew how powerful Soubi was before and couldn't even imagine how strong he was now. He couldn't bear the thought of having to hurt Yuiko. He then walked up to Yuiko who was still standing behind Yayoi.

"Yuiko, I can't believe that this is happening. I don't want to fight you; I don't want you to get hurt."

"It's ok Ritsuka-kun. I know Yayoi will protect me. Besides, we don't have a choice. If we can win, then we can graduate early and we can go home. And what happened to your ears?!" Ritsuka was slightly comforted by Yuiko's bravery and confidence but forgot all about his lack of ears.

"My ears are a long story but never mind that are you sure you can handle it Yuiko?"

"I'm sure. We are undefeated after all." Yuiko then gave Ritsuka that big familiar smile and a thumbs up.

"Ok." As Ritsuka turned and began to walk back toward Soubi, his arm was grabbed by Yayoi who pulled him close so that they were face to face. Yayoi then spoke to him in a cold voice.

"Ritsuka, I know that we were friends, but after you stopped coming to school, Yuiko cried every day. I can't forgive anyone that brings Yuiko pain. So I will not hold back." He then let go of Ritsuka's arm and left him with an icy glance. Ritsuka didn't recognize this boy as the friend he knew. This boy was cold and full of anger. He knew he wasn't going to like the outcome of this. He then ran back to Soubi and wrapped his arms around the tall blonde.

"Soubi, those are still my friends. Can we please go easy on them?" Ritsu over heard this statement and shot it down before Soubi could even reply.

"Loveless, to ensure that you fight to your full potential, your punishment for losing this battle will be two weeks of forced separation." These words shot through Soubi heart like an arrow; this was a punishment that he had seen used against students far too many times.

"I see you are just as cruel as before Sensei." He then leaned down to be eye level to Ritsuka. "Ritsuka, forced separation is the worst punishment a unit can receive. It forcibly severs their bond temporarily until they are reunited. For us this could mean a lot of pain both mental and physical. Ritsu is using this to fulfill his curiosity about us. It's unfortunate that he is using your friends to do this, but that's how it is. We cannot afford to lose. Do you understand?" Ritsuka now had a few small tears streaming down his cheeks.

"I understand. Do not hold back then."

"Understood."

"Are both units ready?"

"Yes."

"Yes."

With that, Ritsu ordered the crowd of students to clear the courtyard area for their own protection. All the students then dispersed, giving the two units plenty of room, leaving only Nagisa and Ritsu still standing on the stairs. The first to step forward in the now empty large courtyard were Yuiko and Yayoi, soon followed by Soubi and Ritsuka. The four of them stood on opposite sides of the courtyard staring at each other in silence for a moment. Then finally Yayoi spoke.

"We declare this to be a battle of spells." Soubi then looked down at Ritsuka looking for an answer. Ritsuka took a deep breath and nodded.

"We accept." With those words, the entire area was consumed by Soubi and Ritsuka's extremely large battle radius. The battle had begun. Yuiko and Yayoi joined hands and pressed their foreheads together.

"We are Limitless. Our love and strength know no limits." Soubi then quickly picked Ritsuka up by the waist and gave him a passionate kiss before setting him back down. They then joined their own hands.

"We are Loveless. A bond so powerful not even our name dare to defy us." The second that Soubi finished speaking, Limitless began their attacks at lightning speed.

" _Restrain! The enemy cannot escape!"_  This shot a long chain from the ground that attached itself tightly to Ritsuka's wrist, making him gasp in pain. Soubi looked back to see if he was ok.

"I'm fine Soubi, focus. They are very fast. Try to slow their movements" Soubi nodded in compliance, and made his attack.

" _Absolute zero! Snowflakes blanket the enemy, chilling them to the bone."_  Heavy snow quickly began to fall and the temperature dropped dramatically. Yayoi was quick to return attack, ignoring the cold.

" _The snow has no effect on us. Our love keeps us warm in the coldest of nights. Now Rupture! Tear the enemy apart!"_

" _Defense! Nothing can reach us."_  This spell sent out a massive bubble that surrounded them, blocking the attack.

" _Shatter! Shards of glass rain down on the enemy"_ Before Yayoi could defend, the attack landed hard. Restraints shot up and grabbed onto both Yuiko's wrists, causing her to cry out and fall to her knees.

"Ahh!" Yayoi quickly turned to his sacrifice.

"Yuiko! Are you ok?"

"I'm ok. Soubi is afraid of the dark Yayoi, use it against him!" Yayoi complied.

" _Clouds cover the sky. Wrap the enemy in darkness."_ The clouds quickly gathered and blocked out all light. Ritsuka knew that this would shake Soubi.

"Soubi! Keep calm! Bring back the light."

" _Fireflies flutter all around, illuminate the darkness."_ Thousands of fireflies then appeared and lit up the darkness.

"Good! Now attack Soubi! Don't hold back!"

" _Solidify! The enemy cannot move."_ Again, a restraint took its claim on Yuiko's neck.

"Ahh!" Hearing his friend cry out made Ritsuka's heart hurt. He just wanted this to be over. But Yayoi was not letting up.

" _Suspension! Break through all defenses! Incinerate! The flames burn everything and leave nothing behind!"_

" _Defense!"_ Soubi's defense was no good, and a chained collar clasped tightly onto Ritsuka's neck, drawing blood and making him cry out.

Before Soubi could even ask, Ritsuka reassured his Sentouki. "I-I'm fine. Finish this!"

" _Lightning! Strike the enemy with electric force!"_ Lightning came shooting from the sky striking Yuiko, adding another restraint, this time to Yuiko's ankles.

"Ahh!"

"Yuiko!" Yayoi's face was now bright red in anger. "That's it! No one hurts Yuiko!"

" _A thousand needles! Pierce though the enemy! Turn these insects into specimens!"_ Thousands of needles then flew through the air towards Ritsuka, but Soubi decided he would try something he never had before.

" _Denied! Reflect! Turn the enemy's attack against them!"_ These words sent out a huge shockwave pushing all of the needles away from Ritsuka and sending them rushing back toward Yuiko. The attack landed.

"AHHHH!" Yayoi stared on in horror as Yuiko was completely constrained.

"Limitless! Your sacrifice has been completely restrained. Victory." With those last words, the battle radius collapsed, and all of Ritsuka's restraints were released.

Yayoi immediately ran to Yuiko's limp body lying on the ground.

"Yuiko!" Ritsu then announced the winner.

"Loveless is the victor."

Ritsuka then ran over to Yuiko and fell to the ground next to her. As soon as he did however, he was shoved away very hard by Yayoi.

"Get away from her!"

"Yayoi…I…."

"I don't want to hear it! Just get away!" Ritsuka didn't want to upset him any further, so he walked away to rejoin Soubi.

"Ritsuka, I'm sorry." Ritsuka quickly put on a brave face to hide his pain.

"Don't be. I told you not to hold back. You did very well Soubi." Ritsuka's voice was now very stern.

They both then turned to face Ritsu and Ritsuka spoke in an angry voice to him.

"Are you happy now?"

"Very."

"What will happen to them now?"

"They will be sent back into training until they can pass a final exam. No harm will come to them."

"Good. You better not be lying. Can we go now?"

"Yes, your assignment is complete. I will be in touch."

Ritsuka wanted nothing more than to leave that place. So he grabbed Soubi by the hand and pulled him to the car.

"Let's go."

"Ok"

After getting in the car, Soubi could tell how upset Ritsuka was so he tried to console him.

"Ritsuka, are ok?"

"No I'm not. But I don't want to talk about it right now. I just want to go home."

"OK."

The rest of car ride was completely silent. Ritsuka was lost in his thoughts. He was furious at Ritsu and he was incredibly upset that Yuiko got hurt. He also had a lot of questions for Soubi, especially about that last spell he used. But he just wanted to forget everything right now. Tomorrow would be a new day, and Ritsuka defiantly had plans to return to the academy tomorrow…he had a lot of unsettled business to take care.

**TBC**


	15. Lessons Learned

The next morning came far too early…

This was especially true for the tall blonde. He had a hard time sleeping; his mind was flooded with worry for his Sacrifice. He knew Ritsuka was not taking the situation very well but had no idea how to go about soothing his pain.

Soubi finally gathered his strength enough to get out of the bed that he was now occupying all by himself. After getting up he left the bedroom and descended the stairs still wearing nothing but his jeans, still yawning from exhaustion. Soubi then arrived into the kitchen to find Ritsuka sitting at the table with his head buried in one of the books Kouya had given him, avidly studying. Ritsuka had never really taken a deep interest in spell battles before, in fact he avoided them at all costs; but after what happened last night he wanted to know everything: rules and etiquette, advanced spells, training exercises, the whole nine yards. He was determined not to let Ritsu get the best of him ever again and he now in fact had ulterior motives of his own.

"Good morning Ritsuka." Ritsuka replied without ever lifting his head out of the book.

"Good morning."

"What are you reading?" Soubi asked as he made his way to the coffee machine. Ritsuka then finally lifted his head out of the pages to answer.

"Well when I went and saw Kouya and Yamato yesterday, Kouya gave me her old books from being in the academy. She said that they could help me." Soubi had now made his way behind the chair Ritsuka was sitting in and had leaned down to wrap his arms around the small boy, looking over his shoulder as he did. Soubi gazed at the page for a brief moment before becoming disinterested. He never actually received textbooks when he studied at the academy; he was always given private lessons, so he never really cared for textbooks of any kind.

"I see. So, will you be attending school today?" Ritsuka then calmly closed the book and stood from his chair, breaking free of Soubi's grip so that he could turn to face him.

"No. You will be taking me to the academy today." Ritsuka's voice was very stern.

"Oh? Why is that?"

"I want to talk to Ritsu-Sensei, and I want to see Yuiko."

"Well I'm not sure if arriving there in the middle of the day uninvited is a very good idea."

"I don't care." Soubi could tell that Ritsuka was starting to get frustrated so he gave in.

"Ok. Let me go get dressed." Soubi then made his way back upstairs to the bedroom to get dressed. Ritsuka remained in the kitchen and sat back down at the table. He grabbed a book from the pile on the table and began to read while he waited for Soubi. He only made it a few pages into a chapter on advanced defense spells before Soubi came back down the stairs, now fully dressed.

"Are you ready to go Ritsuka?" Soubi asked with a gentle smile and a hand extended out to his lover. Ritsuka broke out of his serious mind set just long enough to return the smile and clasp onto Soubi's strong hand. They then both left the house and made their way to the academy yet again. The car ride remained mostly silent until Ritsuka remembered that he had a question for his Sentouki.

"Hey Soubi…"

"Yes?"

"Last night, when we fighting Yayoi and Yuiko, you used a spell that I have never heard before, that last one. What was it?" Soubi was somewhat pleased with Ritsuka's new found interest in spell battles, so he was happy to answer.

"Well it was a rebound spell. It is a very advanced spell and rarely used. It turns an opponent's attack back on them, but if the user isn't strong enough then the opponent's attack will then land with double damage on the user's sacrifice. I had never actually used it before to be honest." Ritsuka was silent for a moment while he took in the information.

"I see. That seems dangerous if it back fires though." Ritsuka couldn't decide if he was upset or not by the idea of Soubi knowingly putting him in harm's way.

"Yes it is. But I wouldn't have attempted it if I thought for a moment that it would fail. I would never let one of my own spells harm you Ritsuka." This made Ritsuka blush slightly and all thoughts of being upset melted away. The rest of the car ride continued in a peaceful silence.

Upon arriving at the gate, they identified themselves as they had before and made their way to the academy. As soon as they pulled up Ritsuka immediately got out of the car and headed toward the door, he was on a mission. Soubi had to rush to catch up to him. Once inside Ritsuka made a bee line for Ritsu's office and before Soubi could stop him, Ritsuka burst through the door.

"Hello. To whom do I owe this visit?" Ritsu spoke in his usual calm cool voice.

"I want answers Sensei!" Ritsuka's voice was on the verge of yelling.

"Ah, Ritsuka, nice to see you again, well hear you to more accurate." Soubi could only watch on as his angered sacrifice approached the desk, slamming his palms down on it.

"Enough with the pleasantries already! Why did you make us fight our friends? That was completely un called for!" Ritsu then slid himself back from his desk and neatly folded his hands in his lap.

"I must admit, I did have some selfish reasons. I wanted to see you two in action to gauge your strength now that you are a proper pair and I must say I was rather pleased with the result."

"Well I'm glad that we could satisfy your morbid curiosity!" Ritsuka replied in a sarcastic tone.

"Well I will say however that having you fight the undefeated Limitless was also a test of their strength as well. Yayoi was boosting that they could defeat anyone, and I wanted to test that. The fact that they are your friends was merely a coincidence." Ritsuka was not very satisfied by this answer nor did he completely believe him but he decided it was best to leave it alone for now; he wanted to try and stay on Ritsu's good side at least for the time being.

"Thank you for answering my questions Sensei." Ritsuka had now reverted back to being as polite as possible. "I have one last question though."

"And what is that?"

"I would like to see Yuiko and Yayoi."

"I'm afraid I can't allow that. They are in class now, and all students are only allowed visitors on weekends and holidays." Again Ritsuka was none to be pleased at this answer, but tried to remain calm.

"I understand. Well then, seeing as we are already here could Soubi and I at least do some training while we are here?" Ritsu saw no problem with this request.

"That would be fine. There is an empty training room in the west building. First floor, room 6-D. You may use this room until the end of the school day if you wish."

"Thank you very much Sensei." Ritsuka then grabbed Soubi by the arm and dragged him out of the office. He only let go when they began walking down the hall. They walked side by side the rest of the way.

"Ritsuka, are we really going to go train?" Soubi thought this was a little odd and thought that maybe Ritsuka was up to something.

"Yes we are."

"Is there anything in particular you have in mind?"

"Yes actually. I was doing some research on my own this morning and I found some spells that I want to do some practice on. I found one in particular that I want us to learn."

"And what is that?" Ritsuka paused for a moment and looked around to make sure no one was listening in.

"Well it is something that I came across on a few websites, but it something that is believed not to exist. It is actually a type of spell, something called inoffensive spells. They are offensive spells, but they supposedly cause restraints to the opponent without causing pain." Soubi was taken aback a bit by this statement. Could there really be such a thing?

"I don't know how that could be possible Ritsuka."

"Me neither, but it something I want to research further."

"Well I don't think it could hurt to some research into it. But I think it would be better to research it more first before we actually go around trying to use something like that at all. In most cases, a spell that is out of the norm like that can have very bad repercussions if not executed properly." Ritsuka thought on this for a moment.

"Maybe you're right. Then how about we just do some strength training today? And maybe some agility training as well."

"I think that is a wonderful idea." Soubi smiled down at Ritsuka and they made their way to their training room to begin their day of training.

Meanwhile…

The Zero girls sat holding each other snuggly on their large love seat watching TV.

"Kouya, would you like to go out this afternoon?"

"Out to where?" Yamato then gave Kouya that big adorable smile that made her heart melt.

"You'll see." Kouya then just laughed and gave Yamato a small kiss on her forehead.

"OK."

After boarding a bus headed toward downtown, the women arrived at the main bus hub in downtown. Yamato dragged Kouya around to several shops, while keeping a sharp watch on the time. After about an hour of shopping, Yamato finally took Kouya to a small café that sat across from a large college building. They grabbed a seat at a table on the outside patio and both ordered tea. After sitting in silence for a while, Kouya began to notice that Yamato was distracted for some reason and kept glancing over to the college across the street.

"Yamato…would you like to tell me what this is really about." Yamato gave her a smile and took Kouya's hand in her own.

"Just be patient. You'll see. " Kouya then sighed and took another sip of her tea.

After about ten minutes, Yamato noticed a tall green haired man walking down the sidewalk in their direction, about to pass them by.

"Kouya…are you ready to have some fun?" Kouya's expression was completely puzzled as she looked at Yamato who was now watching this man that was now only a few feet from them.

"Excuse me!" Yamato quietly said as she gently tugged on the man's sleeve as he walked in front of their table. "What is your name?" The man then stopped, rather confused, but replied anyway.

"Umm, Kaidou Kio. Do I know you?" Once Kouya heard that she immediately knew what Yamato was up to. Yamato then ignored the man's question and turned to her Sentouki and smiled.

"Kouya…would you kindly invite our new friend to join us on a walk?" Kio still stood there complete confused.

Kouya then gave a devilish smirk as she realized what was being asked of her; they really hadn't had any fun in a while so she gladly obliged. She looked up at the man standing bewildered in front of her, looking directly into his eyes making sure to keep strong eye contact as she spoke.

" _Kaidou Kio, I will control this name."_ This odd statement was finally enough to get a rise out of Kio.

"What did you just say? I'm out of here crazy ladies. Bye bye now." Kio then quickly realized that this was not an option, seeing as he was completely unable to move his body. His eyes grew wide in terror at this realization. "W-what's happening?! Why can't I move?! What did you do?!"

"We will be asking the question from now on." Yamato then stood from their café table taking Kouya by the hand as she did. "So where should we take our new friend Kouya?"

"Hmmm, how about over there?" Kouya raised her petite hand and pointed to the large wooden bridge that held the train tracks that led away from the crowded downtown area.

"Perfect." With that Kouya and Yamato headed toward their destination with Kio close in toe, his legs forcing him to follow much against his will.

"Hey! What the hell is going on?!" Yamato was getting annoyed with his questions.

"Shut up! If you don't just stay quiet, then your inability to control your body will be the very least of your worries." Her voice was very cold and threatening.

Kio thought for a moment and decided that it was best to obey his captures. After having the control of his body taken from him, he had no idea what they might be capable of.

Upon arriving at the bridge, Kouya and Yamato led Kio to the underside of the structure. Once they were sure that they were out of sight and ear shot from the bustling city center, Kouya forced Kio's body to sit down on the ground with his legs crossed and his back against one of the wooden support beams of the bridge. Once Kio was forced to his seat, his sight shot straight to the women standing in front of him.

"Who the hell are you two?!" The duo turned to each other and giggled slightly before Yamato finally answered.

"We are good friends of Ritsuka's. That's all you need to know." Kio's expression then became that of a criminal facing the judge.

"Shit…" This made both women begin to laugh.

"Well it looks like he knows he's in trouble. And I half expected him to deny everything." Kouya just laughed at this.

"So what do you plan to do with your catch Yamato?" Kouya's tone was very coy; she really was beginning to enjoy this.

"Hmmm…let's see…." Yamato then took a few steps to be right in front of Kio, and then bent down to be face to face with him.

"First off…Kio, would you like to apologize for what you did to Ritsuka-kun?"

"Not really." Kio replied with a smug grin that infuriated Yamato. She quickly thought of a fitting reply to the older man's evil attitude.

She raised one of her delicate hands to Kio's left ear, running her fingers over the cool metal of all seven of the rings that pierced the length of Kio's ear.

"These are so adorable." She then gave Kio a big smile before latching tightly onto the ring attached to his earlobe (the lowest of the seven). "Much too adorable for someone like you." Yamato's smile became absolutely devilish as she quickly ripped the ear ring from its place causing it to bleed immediately.

"Ahh. Bitch!" Kio's tone was more annoyed than pained, which upset Yamato even more.

"Tsk tsk, that's no way to speak to a lady." Yamato replied as she moved her hand to the next ring in line, this one firmly anchored into his cartilage. "We will have to teach you some manners." She then violently ripped out the second ring, applying more force than before to ensure it tore through the cartilage.

"AHH!" This time Kio's screams were definitely screams of pain. The sound brought a grin to Kouya's face as she looked on.

"Do you think he has learned his lesson yet Yamato?" Yamato giggled.

"I doubt it."

"Maybe another then." Yamato turned to give Kio a big grin.

"I agree." She then made quick work of the next ring, ripping out a small piece of flesh with the ring this time. Kio clenched his teeth as hard as he could trying to hold back his screams, not wanting to give them the satisfaction, much to Kouya's displeasure.

"Another Yamato, I don't think he felt that last one." Kouya's tone was now a mix of anger and sarcasm. Yamato did as she was told and wretched another ring from his flesh. This time Kio again cried out in pain. "That's better."

Yamato then stood so that she was looking down at the bleeding man before her, enjoying the sight of his pain. But she didn't want to stop at causing him physical pain, he deserved much worse. She then turned to face Kouya.

"You know, I wonder why he felt the need to attack our little Ritsuka. Maybe he just hates people younger than him. Or maybe Ritsuka had done something to him. Or maybe…he is jealous." This got the rise out of Kio that she was looking for.

"Shut up bitch!" This remark earned Kio a swift punch from Kouya that landed across his face.

"Ohh, looks like I hit a nerve huh Kouya?" Kouya smirked at this. "Is that it Kio? Are you jealous that Ritsuka is the one that Soubi chose?" Kio remained silent even though he was now filled with rage, but he would never admit his jealousy out loud. His silence only got him a strong kick in the stomach from Kouya, making Kio began to cough blood onto the dirt.

"You better answer when Yamato asks you a question." Kio then replied between coughs.

"F-fuck you." Yamato was not about to let this go unpunished. She slipped her hand into her pocket and pulled out a small razor blade then kneeled down to Kio's level once more.

"If I remember correctly, Ritsuka had a bandage right about here." She then began tracing the blade ever so gently across Kio's cheek in the same place that he had placed a cut on Ritsuka's face. "I think we will make yours match." Then with a big grin, Yamato pressed the blade into his flesh and very slowly pulled in across his face, making a large gash across his cheek.

"AHH!"

"Oh I'm sorry did that hurt?" Yamato said coyly. She then stood again to look down at him.

"Do you want to know why he chose Ritsuka?" Kio remained silent knowing that he would be given an answer either way. "It is because they share a name. And that is a bond that you could never share with Soubi." Kio still remained silent, so Yamato reached down and tore another ring from Kio's ear causing him to cry out again. "That's what I thought you said."

Kio was now bleeding profusely from his ear and was still coughing up blood and breathing heavily. Yamato then decided to land her final blow on the depths of Kio's heart. She kneeled down again, and brought her face right next to Kio's bleeding ear and whispered to him.

"Do you want to know a secret?" Kio just spat more blood form his mouth and stared at the ground in front of him. "Did you know…the night that you attacked Ritsuka out of selfish jealousy…Soubi took Ritsuka's ears." Those words shot right through Kio's hearts and for the first time during his confinement here, tears began to flow down his cheeks, mixing with the blood running down his face. This is what Yamato was after. She wanted to make sure that he felt just as much pain as he caused Ritsuka, inside and out. Satisfied with the weeping state of her captive, Yamato stood and walked back over to be next to Kouya before speaking to him again.

"I think you've learned your lesson. But before we let you go, I want to make one thing very clear." Kio looked up at her with tears still in his eyes. "If we ever see you anywhere near Ritsuka or Soubi…" She paused for a moment and her voice became cold as ice. "…we will kill you." Kio, now broken body and spirit, simply averted his gaze back to the ground seeing as he couldn't actually move. "I'll take that as an agreement. Now, once we let you go, I suggest you go home and stay there. And I strongly discourage any kind of retaliation. You have got us on a good day; you don't want to meet us on a bad one." After a moment of silence from the man, Yamato was satisfied that he understood and gave the command to Kouya.

"Ok, you can let him go now Kouya." Kouya then nodded, and locked her eyes with Kio's.

" _Kaidou Kio, I release this name."_

Kio then immediately fell onto his hands and knees in agonizing pain. Kouya and Yamato then casually turned their backs to him and began to walk back up to the street, leaving Kio down in that ditch. They then boarded a bus towards home, satisfied that justice had been done.

Kio was now completely broken. He stayed there in that ditch for hours until night fall. Once he finally gathered enough strength to get up, he walked to his apartment a few blocks away from the college. Once he arrived home, he cleaned his wounds, and then sat down at his computer. He filled out resignation forms for the college and then bought himself a plane ticket to Paris. In the morning he would pack his things and leave this awful place behind forever. He would leave behind all his memories and all the pain that went along with them.

**TBC**


	16. Time to Study

After a long day of training, Ritsuka and Soubi leave the academy after the final bell rang that signaled the end of the school day. The ride home was a much more pleasant one this time.

"Hey Soubi…"

"Yes?"

"Could we go back to the academy this weekend so I can visit Yuiko?" Soubi looked over for a moment to give Ritsuka a comforting smile.

"Of course we can."

"Thank you." The rest of the ride was filled with comfortable silence.

The duo arrived home right at dusk as the sun was setting. Once they were through the door, Soubi made his way to the fridge to grab a can of beer before settling in on the large living room couch to try and relax after the long day. Ritsuka however, made his way directly upstairs to the master bedroom to change. He rustled through the drawers for a moment before finding a small shirt with a butterfly pattern printed on it; he slipped it on over his undershirt and it fit him very snuggly. He then put on his normal large blue sweater, leaving on his tight jeans as well. After he was fully dressed, Ritsuka walked back down the hallway but stopped at the top of the stair way to call down to Soubi.

"Hey Soubi! Will you come up here please? I want to talk with you about something." Ritsuka then immediately made his way back to the bedroom.

Soubi heard his call and happily made his way up the stairs. When Soubi entered the bedroom, he found his sacrifice sitting on the edge of the bed.

"So, what would you like to talk to me about?"

"Well I wanted to tell you that you did really well in training today, but I think there is still some room for improvement. So..." Ritsuka paused for just a moment. "I would like you to study, and I will help you."

"Hmm…seems fair."

"Good, then come sit with me." Soubi was slightly puzzled that Ritsuka chose the bedroom to study, but did as he was told regardless. He walked over to the bed and sat, leaning up against the headboard and stretching out his legs the length of the bed. Ritsuka then shifted his position so that he was sitting up on his knees facing the blonde.

"So I decided that the best way to study would be to make it game." This peaked Soubi's interest slightly.

"What kind of game?"

"Well it's a surprise; but I think you will get the hang of it pretty quickly."

"Ok then, sounds fun."

"Ok Soubi, let's start with something easy, just so you can get the gist of things."

"Ok."

"I'll name an offensive spell and you name a defense spell of the same skill level to negate it. Understand?"

"Yes."

"Ok. Shatter." Soubi gave a small chuckle at this.

"Wow that is easy. Defense, basic level."

"Very good." Ritsuka then reached to his sides and slid off his large sweater. Soubi then immediately grinned as he realized his lovers plan was to have a strip study session; and he definitely was not complaining.

"So you understand the rules?" Soubi gave a small coy smirk.

"Yes, I think I do. Please continue."

"Ok. Your next one is, Rip."

"Fortify, to strengthen all defenses; intermediate level."

"Correct." Soubi was rewarded as Ritsuka slowly removed his tight fitting tee shirt.

"Next is, Rupture."

"Conceal, to hide from the enemy's attack, intermediate."

"Good." Much to Soubi's delight, the boy then removed his small undershirt, leaving his upper body completely bare.

"Now…" Ritsuka paused for a moment to think carefully about his next move. He wanted to see if he could make his Sentouki slip up, so he made sure to put on a very seductive face before proceeding. "Flatten."

Soubi took a moment before answering this time. He was indeed very distracted by the beautiful form in front of him. He was admiring every inch of that boy; everything from his lust filled eyes all the way down to those perfectly pink perky nipples.

"U-uh… Deflect, intermediate." This caused a sly grin to cross Ritsuka's face.

"Wrong. That defense is of a lower skill level than my attack." Ritsuka then reached over to grab his undershirt, but he was stopped by a firm hand on his arm.

"This is a cruel game." Soubi's tone was that of a child pouting, which only made Ritsuka giggle.

"No it isn't. It's a great way to keep you focused under pressure." Ritsuka then removed Soubi's hand from his arm and replaced the undershirt onto his torso, making Soubi sigh in frustration.

"So, if you want a reward you need to learn how to focus."

"Understood. Continue, I'm ready." Soubi was now determined to win this game.

"Ok, but let's change it up a bit. Now, I want you to name at least one spell that can be used outside of battle." Soubi paused to think for a moment. He then remembered his first encounter with the Zero boys.

"Name control. To control a person's body by taking control of their name. Advanced."

"Very good Soubi, I'm impressed." Ritsuka then quickly removed his undershirt once again. As another reward, Ritsuka decided that the next question would be a very easy one.

"Now, name at least three environmental spells." Even though this was an easy question, Soubi had to concentrate very hard trying not to be distracted by his half naked sacrifice.

"Absolute zero, to bring down the temperature. Heat wave, to raise the temperature. And…um, any kind of weather control spell." Soubi was desperately hoping that this was an acceptable answer.

"Hmm, I think I can take that as a correct answer." Ritsuka then climbed off the bed and very slowly removed his jeans, making sure that he did in a very seductive manner. He then climbed back onto the bed and back into his position sitting on his knees, now wearing nothing but his boxers.

"Looks like you're very close to winning the game Soubi." Ritsuka's voice was now very coy and playful. "Let's see just how well you operate under pressure." Ritsuka then changed his tactics to put his Sentouki to a final test. He moved from his position of sitting opposite of Soubi and crawled closer to him, before moving to straddle Soubi's hips. This action alone was enough to make Soubi's jeans grow painfully tight.

"So are you ready for your next question?" Soubi replied with a silent nod, trying with all his might to retain his composure.

"Ok." Ritsuka then put great thought into his next question, wracking his brain to think of something extremely difficult. He was thinking about things that might be unfamiliar to Soubi and he knew one of the things that Soubi was most passionate about was spells that are considered taboo, he absolutely hated them. And then it clicked. Ritsuka then lowered his face to be right next to Soubi's ear and gave it a delicate lick before whispering his next question to him.

"Name one spell that a unit should never ever use." Although Soubi was impressed at how well Ritsuka knew his hatred for these kinds of spells, he was determined to answer correctly. However, the wonderful position that Ritsuka was in and the now painful tension growing in his jeans were making it even harder to think. Soubi's mind was racing with every spell he could think of but could find nothing to answer.

"Time is running out Soubi." Ritsuka's playful tone was not helping at all.

"3…" Soubi's heart was now racing.

"2…" Still nothing, but Soubi absolutely did want Ritsuka to add another piece of clothing so he dug deep into his memories.

"1…"

"Substitution! The spell that temporarily severs a units bond to switch sacrifices with an opponent!" Soubi finally blurted out at the very last second.

"Wow, I'm very impressed Soubi. You pass with flying colors." Soubi let out a huge sigh of relief.

He then watched on in pure delight as Ritsuka stood up off the bed once more and slowly removed his boxer shorts revealing, much to Soubi's surprise, his already very hard member. Soubi had no idea that Ritsuka enjoyed teasing him so much. He was also very surprised that Ritsuka was being so assertive; not like his usual shy self at all. Regardless, he was very happy. Ritsuka then made his way back to the bed and quickly noticed the area growing larger in Soubi's jeans. Ritsuka then lightly traced his small fingers over the delicate area shrouded by Soubi's jeans, causing chills to run up Soubi's spine.

"Would you like your reward now Soubi?" Ritsuka's voice now had the most seductive tone that made Soubi's jeans grow even tighter.

"Y-yes."

"Yes what?" Ritsuka was truly enjoying the sight of his strong Sentouki shiver and quake just at a tender touch or the sound of his voice.

"Yes please."

"That's a good boy." Ritsuka was then happy to reward his lover for doing so well so he returned to his position straddling Soubi's hips.

Ritsuka's hands then very slowly made their way to Soubi's sides as they gently lifted off the older man's shirt, making him shiver slightly at the cold air against his now bare skin. Ritsuka was quick to warm him up by placing a trail of soft wet kisses from Soubi's neck all the way down to his belly button, stopping only once to take a stiff nipple into his mouth flicking at it with his tongue; earning him deep groans from Soubi's beautiful lips. Finally Ritsuka made his way to the tight piece of fabric that separated him from the organ that he so desperately desired. He then made quick work of the buttons and zipper of Soubi's jeans before sliding them down those long slender legs, taking his boxers along with them, finally revealing Soubi's very large erection. Ritsuka gave Soubi's member a very slow teasing lick around the sensitive tip causing him to cry out.

"R-Ritsuka…"

Ritsuka then raised his head and crawled up to be face to face with Soubi before locking his lips in a deep passionate kiss. Ritsuka licked and nibbled at those lips begging for entrance. His request was finally granted. Soubi moaned into his lover's mouth as his eyes caught sight of the overwhelmingly sexy position the boy was in. Ritsuka was now straddling his whole body with his back arched and his wonderful, beautiful ass perked up in the air above him. Soubi couldn't help but to take control of the situation, so he broke the kiss and gently inserted two of his delicate fingers into Ritsuka's mouth. Soubi's erection grew even harder as the boy licked and sucked on his fingers making sure to get them soaking wet. Soubi then removed his fingers from Ritsuka's mouth and quickly locked the boy's lips into another kiss. As their tongues battled for dominance, Soubi's now very moistened fingers made their way to Ritsuka's tight entrance, rubbing gentle circles against it until the boy moaned back into Soubi's mouth. Soubi then slowly pushed his fingers into his lover, causing Ritsuka to break the kiss.

"A-ah…S-Soubi…" Soubi's fingers continued to tease at the boy's entrance until Ritsuka begged for mercy.

"S-Soubi…please…" Ritsuka's cheeks were now bright red and his arms were wrapped tightly around Soubi's neck. Soubi then finally removed his fingers, but before he could even try to pin the boy underneath him, Ritsuka's hands shot up to meet his wrists, pinning them against the headboard.

"No." Soubi was very confused now; but his confusion was very quickly cleared up as Ritsuka released his wrists and then slowly lowered himself onto Soubi's erection, taking it into himself completely, moaning loudly as he did. Soubi was slightly shocked that Ritsuka was being so dominate and confident, but his shock quickly tuned to pleasure as Ritsuka propped himself up on his knees and slowly raised himself up slightly, and then back down onto Soubi's erection causing him to cry out.

"Mmm..ahhh…" Soubi could no longer contain himself and began bucking his hips up to meet Ritsuka's movements.

"Ritsuka…"

"Ahhh….Soubi….harder…" Soubi then placed his large hands onto Ritsuka's hips and took control by lifting him slowly to the point that only the tip of his erection was still inside the boy then quickly pulled him back down onto it.

"AHH! Again!" Soubi gladly obliged and picked him up before slamming back into him, a little harder this time. Ritsuka was now finding it hard to keep commanding, no begging, for more between his pants and moans.

"…Faster…" Soubi was finding it very hard to control himself now, Ritsuka's voice moaning commands was almost enough to send him over the edge all on its own. Soubi then sat up slightly off the head board and wrapped Ritsuka's legs around his waist so that he was now fully sitting in his lap with his arms still firmly wrapped around his neck. Now Soubi could get to that spot inside Ritsuka that would make him scream his name. Soubi quickly began thrusting up into the boy until Ritsuka yelled out and dug his nails into Soubi's flesh, signaling to Soubi that he had found that special spot. He then began pounding into that spot over and over again, making Ritsuka moan and scream wildly.

"S-Soubi! Don't stop!" Soubi defiantly had no intentions of that. Soubi then quickened the pace, but he was thrown off his pace by a different sound from his lover.

"Ahh…oww!.." Soubi immediately stopped and pried the boy's arms from his neck so that he could look him in the face. That's when he also felt a sharp pain, and looked at Ritsuka's chest to see a crack make its way across the second letter of their name.

"SOUBI! Don't stop!" Soubi couldn't believe that Ritsuka had completely ignored the pain, but was very happy to continue. Ritsuka then wrapped his arms back around his Sentouki and began to buck his hips against Soubi's. Soubi quickly got the hint and resumed thrusting into that wonderfully tight hole wrapped around him.

"Soubi…faster…please…." Hearing Ritsuka beg in that wonderfully seductive voice made Soubi's erection begin to throb inside Ritsuka as he did as he was told.

"R-Ritsuka."

"Nnnn…ahhhh…" Those moans finally caused Soubi to thrust into the boy as fast and hard as he could, grabbing onto his shoulders tightly so that he could force him down onto his erection with each thrust.

"S-Soubi…I'm going to…." Before Ritsuka could even finish, Soubi had taken the boy's erection firmly into his hand and began stoking it in time with his thrusts, making Ritsuka quiver and buck his hips even more. With only a few more well timed thrusts and strokes, Ritsuka exploded onto Soubi's chest as he screamed his name.

"SOUBI!" Hearing that voice scream his name was enough to send Soubi into ecstasy and with one more rough thrust he released himself completely deep inside his lover.

"Ah…Ritsuka…"

They both stayed there in that position panting heavily, both of them clinging onto each other as if they might die if they ever let go. Finally after a few minutes, Ritsuka gently lifted himself off of Soubi, and collapsed onto the bed next to him; Soubi quickly collapsed onto the bed as well. As they lay there, Ritsuka gave his Sentouki one last seductive reward as he rolled over and slowly licked every bit of himself off of Soubi's chest making Soubi's cheeks turn an even darker shade of red. Ritsuka then climbed on top of Soubi and laid his head onto that strong chest. Soubi wrapped his arms around the boy, pressing their hot naked bodies even closer together and placed a tender kiss on top of Ritsuka's head.

"You get an 'A' on your study session today Soubi. Well done." Soubi just smiled softly as he looked down to see Ritsuka quickly drift away to sleep, cradled safely in his arms. He then whispered to the sleeping boy before drifting off to sleep himself.

"Maybe next time, I'll quiz you."

**TBC**


	17. Reunion

It had been three days now since Loveless last left the Sentouki Academy; it was now Saturday and Ritsuka was just returning home from his half day of school. He entered his large home and sat down his bag in the entry way. He then began looking around the large living area and kitchen in search of Soubi. He finally found his lover in the studio sitting in front of his large easel working on a new painting. The boy quietly snuck up behind the blonde and threw his arms around Soubi's neck while placing a small kiss on his cheek. This brought a smile to Soubi's face as he lifted the boy's arms from around him and turned his chair to face his Sacrifice.

"Good afternoon Ritsuka. How was school today?"

"It was fine. Sensei has been getting better every day ever since I told her that I found Yayoi and Yuiko, but she still asks me every day if they are doing ok."

"Well I'm glad to hear that."

"Yeah, she still cries a lot though." They both let out a small giggle at this. Ritsuka then placed his small arms gently back around Soubi's neck and put on the cutest face he could muster.

"So…Soubi…"

"Yes?" Soubi could already tell by that pleading face what was coming next.

"Will you take me back to the academy today so I can see Yuiko?" Ritsuka was now giving him the classic puppy dog eyes and he couldn't refuse, not like he could refuse the boy anything anyway.

"Of course." A huge smile crossed Ritsuka's face and he embraced Soubi even tighter.

"Thank you!"

Soubi then stood from his chair and began making his way out of the studio to the living room to grab his cost from the rack, with Ritsuka close in toe. Once Soubi put on his coat he reached for the handle of the front door but was stopped by the feeling of a small tug on the back of his coat. He turned around to look at Ritsuka who now had his head fixed toward his feet that were fidgeting in their place.

"What's the matter?" Ritsuka answered in a very soft voice, as though he might get in trouble for even answering.

"Well…I forgot to ask you before but…I was wondering if you could actually just drop me off at the academy for a while. I want to go alone. There is a lot I want to try and talk to Yuiko and Yayoi about, and I just think it would be better if I went alone." Soubi was honestly a little hurt by this, but he did understand.

"If that's what you want, then I will drop you off. But please make sure you have your cell phone on the whole time and please be careful." Ritsuka immediately perked back up and threw his arms around Soubi's waist.

"Thank you so much Soubi." Soubi then just smiled as he ushered the boy out the door and into the car.

Ritsuka was so excited to see his friends that it seemed like only a few minutes before they were pulling up in front of the increasingly familiar building. Ritsuka was sitting on the edge of his seat as they pulled in front of the main building and he saw all the students walking about the campus talking and laughing with each other; he was relieved to see the academy looking like a normal friendly place for once. Soubi then parked the car and Ritsuka almost immediately shot out of the car, leaving Soubi behind. Before Soubi could put on a frown however, the boy rushed back to car. He opened the door and leaned all the way across the passenger seat to catch Soubi's lips in a kiss.

"Thank you again Soubi. I promise I'll be safe and I have my phone on me so don't worry." Ritsuka then gave Soubi another big smile. Soubi watched from the car as Ritsuka ran up the steps and into the main building. Once he was sure he was at least safely inside, Soubi drove away from the academy and decided he would go to the park that was near the academy and do some drawing in the sketch book he brought with him; he didn't want to stray too far from Ritsuka, just in case.

As soon as Ritsuka entered the building, he waded his way through the hallway full of students and made his way to Ritsu's office. When he arrived, the door was already open and he could see Ritsu sitting as his desk with his face buried in his laptop as usual. He entered the room without pause and spoke softly as not to startle the man.

"Excuse me, Ritsu-sensei? It's Ritsuka." The man looked up from his laptop with a smile.

"Good afternoon Ritsuka. I'm assuming you are here to see your friends?"

"Yes I am. I was hoping you could tell me where to find them."

"Well I'm not sure exactly but if you would like I could page them over the intercom."

"I would appreciate that."

"OK then. Why don't you go wait in the garden, and I'll have them meet you there."

"Ok." Ritsuka then left the office with a smile but didn't make it very far. As soon as he left he turned back and poked his head back into Ritsu's office.

"Um Sensei…where is the garden?" This made Ritsu chuckle.

"Go out of the main entrance and walk all the way down the path to your right. You will see the garden at the end of the path."

"Ok, thank you again Sensei." With that, Ritsuka headed out of the building and found the path. He walked down the long gravel path until he arrived at a beautiful garden with a large gazebo in the center that was surrounded by cherry blossom trees. Even though everything was blanketed with a thin layer of snow, he could still see the beautiful pink of the petals on the tree. As he was making his way to the gazebo, he heard Ritsu's voice over the intercom.

"Attention students! Limitless, you have a visitor for you in the garden; please make your way there immediately."

After hearing the announcement, Ritsuka's stomach began to flutter in a mixture of excitement and fear. He couldn't wait to see his friends, but he was also afraid that they would be upset at him for defeating them in battle; he was extremely worried about how Yayoi would feel about him visiting, but he was willing to take his chances.

After another few minutes of waiting, Ritsuka's heart almost leaped out of his chest as he saw that familiar tall pink haired girl make her down the path. As soon as she caught sight of who her visitor was, she squealed very loudly and ran toward the gazebo. Ritsuka stood from his place just in time to catch Yuiko as she leaped onto him, hugging him so tight that he couldn't breathe.

"Ritsuka! I'm so happy to see you!" Ritsuka then finally wiggled free of her grasp so that he could speak.

"I'm glad to see you too. I've been so worried!" Ritsuka then paused for a moment as he noticed Yayoi walk up behind Yuiko; he then braced himself for what the boy might have to say to him.

"Yayoi…I…" Ritsuka's words were cut off by arms wrapped around him. He was in shock for a moment until he was released and saw the big smile on Yayoi's face; a huge wave of relief then washed over him.

"No need for apologies or anything of the sort Ritsuka. We both had no choice but to fight that night, and we both did our best. You won fair and square, and I actually owe you an apology. I am not very used to losing, so seeing Yuiko fully restrained scared me, but that's no excuse to treat you the way I did. So I apologize." Ritsuka was so overcome by happiness that he was now fighting back the tears threatening to fall from his eyes.

"Thank you Yayoi. I was so afraid you hated me." Yayoi then let out a familiar laugh as he patted his friend on the head.

"Neither Yuiko or I could ever hate you Ritsuka-kun."

The three of them made their way back into the gazebo to sit and catch up. Ritsuka sat back down where he was while Yuiko and Yayoi sat opposite him, holding their hands firmly together.

"So how did you two realize that you were a unit? I can't believe I missed it." Yuiko was the one to answer this time; she seemed much more like her normal self when they weren't in the midst of battle.

"Well it was really weird actually. I went over to Yayoi's house to study one day, about two weeks after you disappeared, and we were just studying like normal then…" Yuiko paused for a moment as her cheeks went bright red. "…out of nowhere Yayoi leaned over and kissed me. Then just a few seconds after that we both felt a burning pain all the way across the top of our backs. Yayoi threw his shirt off and when I looked, I saw the name. I went into the bathroom and did the same and saw the exact same name."

"Wow! But how did you guys know what that meant and to come here?" Yayoi was the one to answer this time.

"Well we had no clue what was going on. We had no idea that units, true names, spell battles or any of that existed, so we were naturally freaking out. But the next day Yuiko and I both went and saw a doctor to try and figure out what was going on. We were extremely lucky that the doctor I chose just so happened to be a graduate of the Sentouki academy and was a Sacrifice herself, so she told us everything. Then she told us about the academy and that it was the best place for us to go to learn more. So she gave us the address and we met Ritsu-sensei and he admitted us."

"That is crazy. You really did get lucky with that doctor. But I'm just glad I finally found you guys. Soubi and I have been searching everywhere, and Sensei has been worried sick." Yuiko then burst in.

"Oh no! I didn't mean to make Sensei worry! Ritsuka please tell her that I'm sorry!" Yuiko then began to cry uncontrollably in her usual manner, making Ritsuka have to fight back a grin; she really was back to the Yuiko he knew. Yayoi then began to fawn over her in his usual manner, trying to calm her. It made Ritsuka so happy to see them both back their normal selves.

"Yuiko! Don't cry! It's ok. I'm sure Sensei is fine." Ritsuka then finally let out a giggle.

"Sensei is fine Yuiko, I told her that I found you guys and that you were ok so she is ok." This brought a smile back to Yuiko's face as she wiped away her tears before speaking again.

"So Ritsuka-kun what happened to you anyway? Oh and…I have to know…about your, uh…ears." Ritsuka's cheeks quickly turned a light shade of pink.

"Well to make a long story short, I stopped coming to school because I was having problems at home so I moved in with some friends. Then I moved again, to live with Soubi, so I just had a lot going on and I just couldn't make it to school; and I'm sorry about that, I have felt horrible about it ever since." Yuiko briefly interrupted.

"It's ok Ritsuka-kun, we understand."

"I'm glad. But about my ears…well I'm not going into detail, but Soubi took them. That's when my name appeared finally, and so did Soubi's. We learned that Soubi was my true Sentouki all along."

"Awww, that's so romantic! So where is your name?" Yuiko was now very giddy. Ritsuka then gladly unzipped his coat slightly so that he could pull down the collar of his shirt far enough to reveal his name.

"That's so adorable!" She then paused for a moment as she realized what everyone who had seen his name eventually does. "But why is it cracked Ritsuka-kun?" Yayoi's ears now perked up in interest at this.

"Well once again to make a long story short, Soubi and I are defying our name, so it's cracking."

"Wow! I've never heard of that!"

"Yeah…I get that a lot." The three of them all laughed together. It made Ritsuka so happy not just to have his friends back, but that they hadn't changed and he could still talk to them about anything and they would never think he was a freak or a brat or any of the other horrible things he has felt like in his life.

The three friends sat in the gazebo talking and laughing just like old times for hours. Before any of them even realized it, it was getting dark and an announcement came over the intercom calling all students back to their dorms for the night.

"Oh! I didn't realize it was so late! Yayoi and I have to go back to the dorms Ritsuka-kun." Yuiko now had a big frown across her face, as did Ritsuka. He didn't want their time together to ever end, but he knew they would have to part eventually.

"It's ok. Soubi and I work for Ritsu-sensei so we are here increasingly often lately and I can always come visit on weekends." Yuiko then wrapped the boy up in her arms.

"Please do come visit some more Ritsuka!"

"I will, I promise." With that, Yuiko and Yayoi began to walk back up the path toward the school, both of them looking back and waving as they did. Ritsuka waved back before zipping back up his coat all the way and making his way back up the path as well. It was starting to get very cold outside now and snow had begun to fall, so Ritsuka decided to go into the main building via the side door so that he could make his way to the lobby from inside the building.

Once he entered, he was a little surprised at how fast the school shut down at night. The hallway he was walking down was completely dark and dead silent. He continued to make his way down the hallway past all the classroom and office doors until he could see the dim light of the lobby a little ways ahead. He then pulled out his cell phone and began to dial Soubi's number to call him to come pick him up; but before he could finish dialing he dropped his cell phone onto the hallway floor as a wet rag was pressed firmly against his face from behind. He immediately panicked but before he could scream or make any noise at all, everything went black.

**TBC**


	18. Kidnapped

About an hour had passed before Ritsuka finally began to slowly open his eyes. He was still very groggy and disoriented, so it took a few minutes before he completely came to. As soon as he came around everything flooded back to his memory and the last thing he could remember was a cloth being pressed against his face. He was starting to panic again as he picked up his head and looked around to see that he was in a dark classroom. He then quickly realized that he was sitting in a chair with his hands tied behind the back of it. At this point the only thing running through his mind was the sight of the burnt body he had found years ago in his seat at his old school and he was preparing to meet the same fate. His racing thoughts were then cut short by the sound of a small voice giggling form across the room. The laugh sounded so familiar but he couldn't put his finger on it. Then out of the darkness, a small lamp on a desk was flicked on and his capture stepped into the light. Ritsuka was then immediately filled with rage; He should have known.

"Nagisa! Why am I here?! What do you want with me!?" Ritsuka was now screaming in hopes that someone would hear. Nagisa continued to laugh.

"Screaming won't do you any good you little brat. We are in the basement, no one can hear you." Ritsuka let out a small growl in frustration.

"What do you want with me?" Nagisa then took a few steps to be standing in front of the constrained boy.

"I don't want anything to do with you actually. I hate all sacrifices, but I hate you the most."

"Then why am I here? And why am I tied up?

"Well you see, Soubi is the strongest Sentouki this school has ever seen…" Her words were cut off by the angry boy.

"Yeah so what?"

"So… the fact that he was a blank was a god send for me and I have been preparing a proper sacrifice for him ever since Seimei died. And you are messing all of that up for me."

"Yeah but he isn't a blank! He is my Sentouki! So you are just wasting your time." Nagisa's expression turned slightly angry at this.

"No I'm not! Do you not remember your encounter with Bloodless? When Hideo's Sacrifice mysteriously vanished, I replaced her with a much better one." Ritsuka did in fact remember that encounter and that's when it finally clicked.

"Mysteriously disappeared? I didn't believe that to begin with….but I knew that you had something to do with that." Nagisa let out a laugh.

"Maybe I did."

"You're sick! How could you separate a pair just because you don't like the Sacrifice?! Now I see why Kouya and Yamato would have rather died than to continue to work for you!"

"I just prefer to see a good Sentouki with someone that won't hold them back. Which brings me back to why you are here; as I was saying, I have been preparing a proper partner for Soubi and the only thing in my way is you."

"What makes you think that Soubi would ever abandon his true partner for someone you picked out for him?" Ritsuka's voice was a little more confident now.

"Well after he learns of your unfortunate accident, I'm sure he will accept a new sacrifice no problem." Now Ritsuka's mind was filled with worry again.

'Accident? This doesn't sound good.'

"He would never accept another Sacrifice!"

"Oh no? He was so devoted to Seimei, but when he died he gladly accepted you didn't he?" A smug smile crossed her face as she saw the look of fear in Ritsuka's eyes.

"I-it's different this time! He loves me!"

"You are so naïve, I almost feel sorry for you. Oh wait, no I don't." She then began to laugh wildly. "So I'm afraid this is the end of the line for you brat." Ritsuka's eyes grew wide as he saw the women pull out a small container of gasoline, he couldn't believe that she would stoop this low and he was really beginning to panic now. Ritsuka then closed his eyes and did the only thing he could think of, he called to his Sentouki with all his heart.

'Soubi! Please help!'

Ritsuka's eyes then shot open as he heard the sound of her footsteps growing closer and closer to where he was sitting. His heart was racing at a thousand miles an hour as he saw the women that was now standing right in front of him, screw off the cap of the gas can.

"Nagisa! Please don't! This isn't fair!" Tears were now streaming down his face.

"Life isn't fair, get used to it." Ritsuka was running out of ideas and desperately tried to scream for help.

"Somebody! Hel-" But his words were cut off by a deep unfamiliar voice.

"Nagisa! Put it down. Let the boy go." Ritsuka looked toward where the voice was coming from and there in the doorway of the classroom he saw a very tall figure. He was almost as tall as Soubi with jet black hair covering his earless head, which hung down in front of his face, almost covering deep amber eyes. His voice was very calm but stern and almost scary. The man then poked his head back out of the door to call down the hallway.

"Reiki! Over here." Almost immediately after he called, a smaller boy appeared in the door frame. He was smaller than the other man but still much taller than Ritsuka. This other boy had shorter red hair that was styled up into a fohawk keeping it well out of the way of his bright blue eyes that hid behind a pair of black thick rimmed glasses. This boy was also missing his ears. As the boy arrived into the classroom he was very out of breathe as if he had been running. Ritsuka had never seen these people before, but much to his relief their presence stopped Nagisa dead in her tracks, and she let out a very frustrated sigh.

"What are you two doing here? This is none of your business! Go away!" The taller man then stepped forward toward Nagisa while holding an arm back signaling the other boy to stay by the door.

"Our business or not, you can't just kidnap people and tie them up, let alone go around killing people." The man's voice was still very calm, making it even scarier.

"I can do whatever I please!" She then stepped back toward Ritsuka with the open gas can and raised it over his head but her arm was quickly grabbed by the man who was much stronger and taller than Nagisa. As he held her arm, he turned his head back toward the boy in the door way.

"Reiki, go get Ritsu-sensei."

"Ok Sasuke." He then quickly took off running down the hallway. Sasuke then turned back to Nagisa and grabbed the container out of her hand. Ritsuka could now see that Nagisa was getting very pissed off.

"You are so troublesome Sasuke! I should have never let you two attend the academy." This brought a scary grin to the man's face.

"But you did. Now I strongly suggest you run along now before Ritsu gets here." As soon as those words left his mouth however, Ritsu quickly entered the room with Reiki in toe. Sasuke then released his grip of Nagisa's arm and stepped out of Ritsu's way.

"Nagisa! What have I told you about abusing our students?!" Nagisa was now very clearly scared.

"I…But he isn't even a student!"

"He works for me, this means he is protected under the same rules." Ritsu then made his way toward the sound of Nagisa's cowering voice and latched firmly onto her arm. He then began dragging her toward the door.

"Sasuke, Reiki, thank you for informing me. I will be taking Nagisa to my office now to receive her punishment. Will you kindly take of Ritsuka?" They both simply nodded and watched as Ritsu dragged Nagisa out of the room. Ritsuka was immediately relieved when she was gone.

"Thank you so much for saving me. I'm Ritsuka." The tall man then made his way to the chair Ritsuka was bound to.

"It wasn't a problem. I'm Sasuke and this is-" He was quickly cut off as he was violently yanked completely off the floor and slammed hard against a wall, being held up by his collar.

"Soubi!" Ritsuka called to his Sentouki from his spot still tied to the chair, but Soubi completely ignored him to speak to the man he had pinned.

"Who the fuck are you?! What did you do to Ritsuka?! Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you!" Reiki had now run over to Soubi and was beating on him frantically with tears running down his face.

"Let him go! Let him go!" His assault however, did not even faze Soubi; he was too filled with rage to even notice. Ritsuka knew that Soubi wouldn't hesitate to kill him so he tried to snap Soubi out of it.

"Soubi! Stop! Put him down! He saved me!" Ritsuka's words finally reached him and Soubi dropped the man onto the floor. He then walked over to Ritsuka, leaned down and quickly untied him from the chair. As soon as he was free, Ritsuka collapsed into Soubi's arms, crying and snuggling into him furiously. Soubi gently stroked Ritsuka's head trying to calm him down, completely forgetting about the other two people in the room.

"Ritsuka…I heard your call but I'm sorry it took me so long. I should have been here faster." Soubi then squeezed the boy tighter, very relieved that he was ok. "Who did this to you?" Ritsuka then pulled his head from Soubi's chest and wiped away his tears.

"Nagisa-sensei. She wanted to kill me and replace me with another sacrifice that she had prepared for you." This filled Soubi with rage, but he fought it back for the time being to assess the rest of the situation.

"Who are they?" Soubi looked toward the two boys that were now standing at the front of the room with Reiki clasped tightly onto Sasuke's muscular arm. Sasuke was the one to answer Soubi in a very cool calm voice.

"I am Sasuke and this is Reiki. We are Ageless. We just happened to be taking a walk around the school and we heard someone scream, so we came to investigate." Soubi then stood up and gently released Ritsuka from his arms before stepping in front of him so that Ritsuka was safely hidden away behind him.

"I see…well I am Soubi and I'm sure you already know this is Ritsuka. We are Loveless. I apologize if I hurt you."

"I'm fine. I would have done the same thing in your position."

"Thank you very much for saving Ritsuka, I am in your debt."

"It wasn't a problem." Sasuke then reached out a large hand toward Soubi in an attempt to offer friendship, though his face was still rather expresionless. Soubi acknowledged and shook his hand firmly.

Once the tension was settled, both Sentouki calmed down and Soubi allowed Ritsuka to come out from behind him. Reiki then looked up at Sasuke silently asking for approval, which was granted by a subtle nod from the tall man. He then ran from Sasuke's side and threw his arms around a very surprised Ritsuka.

"It's nice to meet you Ritsuka!" Ritsuka tentatively hugged him back before wiggling away.

"Um, it's nice to meet you too." Reiki then put a huge grin on his face before running back to Sasuke's side. Soubi then decided to investigate these two further.

"So, you two are students here?" Reiki now took control of the conversation with a rather cute and bubbly voice as well as a big smile; he really seemed like a happy go lucky boy.

"Yes we are. We started attending here about six months ago. How about you guys, do you go here?"

"No, I used to but I graduated a while ago. We both work for Ritsu-sensei now."

"Wow that must be interesting."

"That's one word you could use to describe it." This made the red haired boy laugh. After a short moment of silence, Soubi was satisfied enough with two strangers and now had other things to attend to.

"Well, Sasuke, Reiki, again I thank you but we have to go now. I have something I need to take care of, so could you kindly tell me where I could find Nagisa?" Sasuke and Reiki looked at each other, thinking on whether they should let Soubi tear into Nagisa or not. Sasuke finally decided that he didn't really care what happened to that woman.

"She was hauled off to Ritsu's office. "

"Thank you." Sasuke just nodded. The four of them then left the classroom, parting in opposite directions once they entered the hallway. As they departed, Reiki called down the hallway to Ritsuka in his very happy little voice waving as he did.

"I hope to see you again soon Ritsuka!" Ritsuka just waved back slightly confused as to why that boy was so friendly even though they were basically strangers. They then made their way to Ritsu's office, leaving the other duo behind them.

As they walked back to their dorm, Reiki was firmly attached to his tall Sentouki and still had a big grin on his face.

"Hey Sasuke?"

"Yes?" Sasuke answered in his seemingly usual calm quiet voice.

"Can we keep an eye on those two from now on? I think we could be friends!" This finally summoned a small chuckle from the quiet man.

"If you would like to be friends with them, then I suppose we can keep an eye on them." Sasuke's voice was now loosening up and becoming slightly playful. Reiki then shot ahead of his Sentouki and stood in front of him, stopping him in his tracks.

"You're the best Sasuke! I love you!" Reiki then flung his arms around Sasuke's strong neck and pulled him down into a deep kiss, before they continued on to their room for the night.

Meanwhile…

Ritsuka was now struggling to keep up with Soubi as they grew increasingly close to Ritsu's office.

"Soubi, slow down!" Ritsuka's words had no effect, so he just tried to keep up with him as best he could.

When they arrived at their destination, Soubi stopped only for a brief second before violently flinging the door open. As soon as he stormed in he could see Ritsu sitting in usual spot at his desk and then his eyes filled with rage as he located Nagisa sitting in a chair in the corner of the room. As soon as Nagisa laid eyes on Soubi she knew that she had seriously messed up.

"S-Soubi...I-I…" This was all the small woman could get out before Soubi had picked her up out of her chair by both of her pigtails.

"OOWWW!"

"Shut up! How dare you ever try to take Ritsuka away from me." Soubi's voice was now extremely scary, so much so that Ritsuka didn't even try to intervene; instead he just clung onto the door frame.

"I-I was just trying to make you stronger…" This earned her a swift knee to the stomach before Soubi let go of her hair and let her fall to the ground, where she doubled over in pain.

"That's all you care about, how powerful a Sentouki is. It's pathetic. You will never understand that our true strength comes from our Sacrifice." She then painfully propped herself up against the wall, wiping away the trickle of blood that was flowing from the corner of her mouth.

"I guess I won't. Sacrifices are useless." Soubi's face was now bright red with anger. He stormed over to her and picked her back up off the floor, by her neck this time making sure to add plenty of pressure around her windpipe. Nagisa was now frantically clawing at his hands, trying to fight for breath. Finally after her movements began to slow almost to a stop, Ritsu stepped in.

"Soubi, that's enough. I still need her around whether you like it or not." Soubi very begrudgingly let her fall back to the ground but took great pleasure in watching her gasp for air like a fish out of water.

"Fine. But if you really like her alive, I strongly suggest you keep her away from both me and Ritsuka."

"I can do that. And rest assured that she will be receiving a fitting punishment. From now on Nagisa will be teaching the leadership class for the first year Sacrifices." This made Soubi chuckle in delight.

Soubi then walked over to Ritsuka and wrapped one of his strong arms around him, ushering him out of the building without another word to Ritsu.

"Let's go home Ritsuka."

"Ok." Ritsuka then cuddled closer to Soubi as they walked to the car together.

After making their way back to the car, they began their drive home through the heavily falling snow.

"Hey Soubi…"

"Yes?"

"What do you make of those two guys? Ageless."

"Well I'm not quite sure what to think of them. I have never heard of them before and they were defiantly an interesting duo."

"Yeah…I think I'd like to get to know them though." Soubi smiled softly as he looked over at his lover.

"You are such a kind person Ritsuka. I'm sure we can get to know them, and maybe even make some memories together." Ritsuka looked back at Soubi with a grin and red tinted cheeks.

"That would be really nice."

Once they arrived home, they were both drained from the day so they made their way straight to bed. Ritsuka crawled unto the large comforter and snuggled in tightly, very excited that tomorrow was Sunday and he could sleep in. Soubi quickly joined him, wrapping him up tightly in his arms. They both quickly drifted off into blissful sleep with no worries or cares about what the next day might bring.

**TBC**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So as im sure you have noticed, I have now introduced my two OMCs and the next two chapters will be dedicated to thier back story. Thanks again for reading! ^_^


	19. The Ageless Project

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back story for my OMCs ^_^

Several years ago…

"I really hope this goes well." The short blue haired woman took in a very deep breathe to calm her nerves before making her away into the Seven Moons academy for the very first time.

As she walked through the large front doors and entered the lobby, she took a good look around at the large open room before taking out the small piece of paper in her pocket that contained directions as to where she was to go. She read the directions to herself in her head.

'Upon arriving in the lobby, take the hallway to the left and go all the way down to the third to last room on the right to the office of Minami Ritsu.'

She then turned to her left and made her way down the long hallway. When she was only a few doors away, she could see a small shaggy tailed boy emerge from the office she was headed to. As they passed each other, she noticed that the boy had thin lines of blood bleeding through his oversized white shirt, making her even more nervous. When she finally arrived in front of the correct door, she swallowed her fear and boldly knocked. She was quickly answered by a soft voice.

"Please come in." The woman took one more deep breathe then turned the knob and entered the office. She was somewhat relieved when the man she saw sitting at his desk was greeting her with a gentle smile. "Please sit down." The woman then closed the door behind her and sat down in the chair opposite the cheery silver haired man.

"Good morning sir. I am Sagan Nagisa and I am here about the Head of Research Development position that you have available here." Although she was nervous, Nagisa was putting on a very strong face; this was a dream job for her and she wanted it more than anything.

"Ah yes, I've been expecting you." Ritsu then flipped open a small file folder on his desk and began scanning the pages. "You have quite an impressive resume: Top of your class, senior achievement awards and several letters of recommendations. But I must ask, why do you wish to work here at the academy?"

"Well I have been following all the achievements you have made as head of this school but you have always been lacking a solid science department, so when I saw that you had opened a position I knew that this was the place for me." Ritsu then leaned forward on his desk and looked the woman straight in the eyes.

"Is that all?" Nagisa thought a moment before answering.

"Well no…I must be honest, I have a lot of projects that I have been eager to put into action but no one else has the resources that your school does. And no one else really would have any use for them, but I really feel as though my projects might help advance your school even further."

"Hmm projects like what?" Nagisa then pulled a file form her bag and slid it over to the man in front of her. Ritsu opened it and studied the pages carefully before closing it with a rather large grin on his face. "I see…very interesting indeed."

The room was then filled with silence for a moment, but only for a moment.

"Congratulations Nagisa-sensei, you are now our first Head of R&D here at the Seven Moons." Ritsu then stood and extended his hand to her. Nagisa was slightly in shock but quickly stood and instead of shaking his hand, bowed to him.

"Thank you so much Sir, you won't regret this." Ritsu chuckled slightly.

"I'm sure I won't. And you can just call me Ritsu. You will have a week to make all your arrangements and be fully moved into the academy. Will that be alright?"

"Absolutely!" She was now ecstatic and immediately left the school in a blissful state. She couldn't be happier to start her new life here at the academy.

Six months later…

Nagisa was now feeling right at home at the academy and had absolutely fallen in love with her large laboratory as well as her extremely large budget she was given; and she was even given a wonderful assistant named Nana. She had begun work the very first day that she moved in, very eager to get her current project up and running. Over the past few months Nagisa had been working night and day on her current project that she had titled, "The Ageless Project." This was a project that she had been passionate about ever since she learned about the existence of battle units. The aim of the project: To create a pair that would never age and were almost invincible.

Nana and Nagisa had been doing extensive study into the project and even only after six months, they had already had two promising, yet unsuccessful attempts at project completion. As the seventh month came around, Nagisa was beginning to get frustrated at the progress and began to become rather obsessive with it. But never the less, she entered the lab everyday eager and determined to succeed.

Another month passed and Nagisa entered the lab in the morning as she usually did, Nana already there waiting her arrival.

"What's the status report on the new subjects Nana?" The light blue haired women turned away from her computers to answer.

"Well they are still stable this morning and showing small signs of progress."

"Good." Nagisa then took a seat in front of her own computer and began to run diagnostic tests as she usually did, studying the information fervently.

The lab was rather quiet for the whole day as both women stayed glued to their computer screens. After several hours, it began to get rather late and Nana was clearly getting tired as she was yawning every few minutes.

"Nagisa, I think we should turn in for the night. I still have all the monitor systems linked to my cell phone, so why don't we start again in the morning?" Nagisa was never too happy about each day ending unsuccessful, but she still decided that it would be best to go to bed.

"Yeah, let's get out of here." With that the two women shut off all the lights in the lab and headed to their rooms for the night.

Several hours into that night however, Nagisa was awakened by a call coming in on her cell phone. She reached for her phone, still half asleep and answered.

"Hello?"

"Nagisa! Get down to the lab quick!" That was all it took to make her shoot out of bed at lightning speed and run down to the lab, where she found Nana frantically typing on her computer.

"What's going on?!" Nana then spoke in a frantic voice.

"I got an alert on my phone saying that the subject's brain waves were off the charts! I ran down here to check it out and well…" She then pointed to small blue curtain on the other side of the lab. Nagisa immediately ran over to it and threw back the curtain. Her eyes grew wide at what she saw; there they were, two boys huddled up holding each other tightly on the small hospital bed.

"I can't believe it!" Nagisa then slowly approached the boys and took a good look at them. She first noticed the much bigger man. He was about six foot one with an extremely well-muscled frame with jet black hair that covered his eyes and his eyes were beautiful dark amber. He had perfectly perky black ears that matched his short shaggy tail. She then noticed the back of his hand had the large name printed on it: Ageless.

Her attention then turned to the slightly smaller boy curled up shaking in the larger man's arms. This boy was slightly smaller but still well-muscled for a boy his size. He had shorter red hair with matching red ears to go along with his long slender brown tail, as well as brilliant blue eyes. And on the back of his hand, the same name was clearly printed. The two of them were still completely naked, but the larger man had the smaller one wrapped tightly in his arms, while his wide eyes scanned the area they were in. Nagisa then gently sat on the bed next to the as not to scare them.

"Hello, I am Nagisa-sensei." The larger man took a minute as he tried to speak for the first time.

"I-I am…um…" Nagisa then placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"You don't have names yet, but we can fix that." Nagisa then paused and scanned the boy's thoroughly in order to find a fitting name for each of them. She then took the larger man's chin in her small hand.

"You are Sasuke."

"Sasuke?"

"Yes, that will be your name." She then pried the smaller boys face out of Sasuke's chest to caress his soft cheek. "And you are Reiki." The small boy then finally flexed his vocal cords for the first time.

"Reiki?"

"Yes, and you are both Ageless." The two boys then quickly returned to their positions, huddled together on the small bed. "Give me a moment and I will get you two something to wear.

Nagisa then left the bed and closed the curtain behind her. As soon as the curtain was closed, she turned to Nana and gave her a huge smile.

"Nana…We did it!" Nana then relaxed back into her chair.

"Yeah…we did. I can't believe it."

"Me either. Oh, could you please find them something to wear?"

"Right away." After a few minutes, Nana returned with a set of matching baby blue jump suits. Nagisa took them from her and returned to her new unit.

"Here put these on." The two cautiously left the bed and put on their new clothes then immediately returned to the bed. "There that's better. Now you two should get some rest." The two of them silently replied by lying down on the bed, still wrapped in each other's arms and quickly fell asleep. Nagisa then returned to Nana, closing the curtain.

"Nana, I need you to completely lock this facility down. I want no one to come in or out of here beside me and you."

"Yes ma'am."

"We will start running tests first thing in the morning." Nagisa then left the lab, leaving Nana to set up security for the room. A small grin then crossed her face as she walked back toward her room.

The next morning couldn't come soon enough for Nagisa-sensei and she was in the lab at the break of dawn, even before Nana had arrived. She was very eager to begin testing on her new creations. As she made her way through all the new security check points, she was rather impressed at Nana's skills when it came to security. The lab now had several key pads as well as a fingerprint reader set to only recognize her and Nana's prints. Once she finally made it into the lab, she made a bee line for the small bed where the two boys were still sleeping.

"Wake up." Nagisa's voice was very tender.

She then gently began to poke at both of them to wake them up and finally after a few good shoves the two awoke. As soon as they sat up in their bed, Nagisa was relieved to see that they were no longer timid or recoiled. This was exactly as she had planned. As she was developing them, she put an extra chemical into their brains that would be triggered as they slept for the first time. The chemical slowly throughout the night filled their brains with a lot of basic information that they would need to understand exactly what and who they were, as well as information about the world; but most importantly, this chemical would affirm their bond to each other and strengthen it to rival even that of a pair that had been together for decades. She had also made sure to give them all the life experience of adults so even though they were technically only a day old, they had the mind of someone in their early twenties (twenty-three to be exact). Even with all these things put in place, Nagisa knew that the only thing she could not control was their personalities so she was very eager but tentative to learn how their personalities would develop.

After making sure they were awake, Nagisa left their bed side to go meet with Nana who she had just heard entering the lab.

"Good morning Nana!"

"Good Morning." Nana gave a large yawn as she spoke. "So how are they doing? Did everything go as you planned through the night?"

"They are doing splendid! Everything went exactly as I wanted. They seem to be much more comfortable."

"Well that's good. So, where would you like to begin testing today?" Nagisa paused for a moment to think about that, she had gotten so ahead of herself she actually hadn't even thought of where to start.

"Mmm, how about we just start with a general body condition assessment?"

"Sounds good."

Nagisa then returned to the boy's that were now sitting propped up in their bed.

"So how are you boy's feeling this morning?" Reiki was the first to answer with a smile.

"I feel fine." Sasuke then followed with a blank expression.

"Fine." Nagisa then smiled and stepped closer to them.

"Great! So now that both your brains are working just fine, we need to see how your bodies are doing." Sasuke then looked up at with a concerning face.

"And what exactly does that entail?"

"Well it's really just hooking you up to a few sensors for a little while. Oh and I will need you both to remove your shirts."

"Fine."

Nana then entered from behind the curtain after they had removed their shirts carrying two handfuls of wires, each of them attached to a small circular sensor. She quickly began placing the sensors all over both the boys torsos as well as a few on their temples. After they were all in place, Reiki looked over to Sasuke and let out a small giggle at how ridiculous he looked. Sasuke was none too pleased with this.

"Shut up…" Reiki just continued to giggle. Nana couldn't help but to comment.

"You two are so adorable!"

Nana then returned to computer screen while Nagisa completely did away with the curtain in front of the boys' bed. The two of them sat on the bed patiently while Nagisa sat down at her computer as well. As soon as they were both seated, Nagisa quickly began barking orders at the boys from across the room.

"Ok, Sasuke stand up." Sasuke did as he was told. "Good, now flex your muscles please." Again he did as he was told and flexed all of the well-toned muscles in his upper body. As he continued to follow the orders given to him, he was trying extremely hard to hear what the women were whispering to each other in between tasks, but he could never make it out. After about ten more minutes of Sasuke doing random tasks he was finally told to sit down.

"Ok, your turn Reiki."

The same series of commands were then directed to Reiki. Sasuke carefully watched everything that was going on around him, trying to assess the situation and what these women were up to. His concentration was broken however, when he caught sight of his Sacrifice who was now being told to jump up and down; Sasuke couldn't help but let a small smile slip across his face at the sight of Reiki smiling and laughing as if this were a game.

After Reiki's round of tests were finished, Nana returned back to the boys and removed all the sensors from their bodies before returning silently back to her computer. She and Nagisa then again began whispering to each other just out of ear shot of the duo that sat back onto the bed.

"So what do you think so far Nagisa?"

"They are both physically very strong but Sasuke worries me…"

"Why is that?"

"Well he is the Sentouki so naturally I designed him to be much stronger, but even these trivial tests are registering him off the charts. He is even stronger than I intended…we will have to watch him carefully."

"Understood."

Nagisa then stood from her chair and rummaged through her bag for a moment before pulling out a large stack of books. She then approached the tall black haired boy sitting up very straight on the bed.

"Sasuke, these are some beginner textbooks from the academy. I would like you and Reiki to take the rest of the day to study them in my office and when you are done there is an exam on the last page that I would like each of you to take separately. I will come and get you from my office at the end of the day to return here. Ok?" Sasuke looked at the pile of books for a moment before answering her.

"Understood."

"Good! Now, if you two will put your shirts back on, I will escort you to my office." Both boys did as they were told and followed her out of the lab, leaving Nana there alone.

As they walked down the hallway behind Nagisa, they were both taking in every sight and sound they could. This was the first time in their short lives that they had ever been out of that room. After only a few short minutes, they arrived at Nagisa's office. She led them into her rather large lavish office space and directed them to the desk at the back of the room.

"Ok boys, be sure to study hard and I will back for you later on." They both nodded and watched as she made her way out of the room. As soon as he door closed, Sasuke noticed the subtle sound of the door being locked from the outside; this caused him to grow increasingly weary of her. Reiki however didn't notice and immediately began burying his face into one of the books.

"Reiki…" Sasuke placed a gentle hand under the boy's chin, lifting his head out of the book. "I don't trust that woman." Reiki looked completely puzzled by this.

"How come Sasuke? I think she is nice."

"I just don't trust her." Reiki's expression then shifted to show very sad puppy dog eyes; he didn't know what to say to his Sentouki. Sasuke quickly picked up on this however, and answered before Reiki could even ask anything. "Reiki, please just promise me that if anything ever happens, you will call to me. I will always hear your call and I will always protect you. And promise that you will always stay close to me…" Sasuke then paused for a moment to try and choke out the delicate words. Despite how much he hated showing weakness, he loved Reiki with all his heart. "…I need you by my side always Reiki." By now Reiki's cheeks had gone bright red and his chest felt as though it was filled with butterflies flapping wildly inside him.

"I promise Sasuke. I will never leave your side….I love you Sasuke." He then leaned up to his Sentouki and pressed his soft delicate lips to Sasuke's for the first time in their lives. This was enough to even make Sasuke begin to blush, which he was not pleased about so he quickly shifted Reiki's attention.

"We should start studying now." Reiki answered with a grin.

"Yeah we really should." The two then both buried their faces into a book, taking in all the information they could.

Back at the lab…

As soon as Nagisa entered the lab her expression was a very worried one. She immediately sat down at her computer, ignoring Nana and began reviewing the data over and over again. After reviewing the information about a dozen times, she suddenly stood up from her chair almost scaring Nana half to death.

"Nana!" Nagisa's voice was on the brink of yelling, very angry yelling.

"Y-yes ma'am?"

"Ageless will be up in my office for the rest of the day, how fast can you assemble a construction team?"

"U-um, pretty fast. What for?"

"I want this lab completely renovated. I need it completely split into two separate rooms, connected only by a steel door. The first room needs to have accommodations put in place for the boys. A proper bedroom, bath room and study area. The second room needs to be a full training arena." Nana was shocked by this sudden absurd request.

"Ha, ok, anything else?!" Her reply was very sarcastic.

"Yes actually. Most importantly, this entire lab needs to be fortified. I would like all the walls and ceiling to be reinforced and sound absorbing foam inserted all around the entire area." Nana could tell how serious she was, so decided that it would be best just to do as she says; Nana had learned very quickly that Nagisa has a very, very scary side that she did not want to be on the receiving end of.

"O-ok Nagisa. I could most likely have all that finished in a month or so." Nagisa then shot her a fiery gaze that shot through her heart like an arrow.

"No! It needs to be done by the end of today."

"WHAT?! That's impossible! I would need huge amounts of materials and man power to even think of pulling that off!" Nagisa then put on a sly grin as she opened up a file on Nana's computer screen.

"You must not have seen my budget for this department have you?" Nana's jaw almost hit the floor when she saw the bank account that Nagisa had pulled up.

"O-ok then…I will have it done by the end of classes today."

"Good."

"But I have to ask…why are we doing all this?" Nagisa paused for a moment.

"Well, I've decided that it's best if Ageless never leaves this lab, ever." Even Nana thought this to be an extremely cruel thought, but again she held her tongue in fear of being on the receiving end of that woman's wrath.

"Understood. I will have construction started immediately."

"Thank you." Nagisa crossed her arms in satisfaction, before exited the lab leaving Nana to her work.

Several hours had passed and it was now getting dark outside. Reiki and Sasuke had read through every single book they were given and had finished their exams hours ago and had just been going over the material with each other as they waited for Nagisa to return. As they sat and talked they were suddenly startled by the office door being flung open, causing Reiki to jump into Sasuke's lap.

"How goes the studying boys?" After Reiki calmed down and slipped out of Sasuke's lap he stood and answered her with a proud smile.

"We finished a couple of hours ago Sensei, exams and everything."

"Very good. I will grade your exams later this evening and give you your results tomorrow. Now, are you ready to go back to your room? I have made a few improvements for you."

"Really?! Thank you Sensei!" Reiki was now wiggling in place in excitement as if he had just received a gift. Sasuke however, silently stood from his chair; he wasn't very sure that he was going to like these improvements.

"Well let's get going then." The two boys then followed Nagisa out of the office and back down the hall way that they came through before.

When they arrived at the door of the lab, Sasuke immediate knew something was off. His extremely sharps senses quickly picked up the faint smell of dust and sweat. Nagisa then opened the door and led them into the pitch black room, quickly shutting the door behind them. Once inside, she flipped on a switch that lit up the entire room which now didn't even resemble the lab they once knew. Sasuke and Reiki took in the sight of the new room. The first thing they noticed was that there was now a bedroom in the middle of the room with a large king sized bed in place of the tiny hospital cot; attached to the bedroom was a small bathroom complete with a shower and full sized tub. They then noticed a small cubicle adjacent to the bedroom that contained a bookcase and a small desk. All of this would have been enough to excite even Sasuke, if it hadn't been for one thing: all of these wonderful rooms were contained behind walls of extremely thick glass, even the bathroom. To make things worse, all of the glass walls were held together at the seams by thick steel bars. This was really beginning to look like an oversized lavish rat cage to Sasuke.

"So what do you think? Just wait until you feel the bed, it's incredibly comfortable." Nagisa then grabbed both silent boys by their arms and dragged them into their enclosure, again making sure to close the thick glass door behind them.

"So?" After a moment, Reiki answered in a shaky voice; this room was really beginning to scare him, he didn't like the idea of being in a cell.

"I-it's wonderful Sensei!" Reiki did his best to sound genuine.

"I'm so glad you like it! Oh and there is one more thing!" Nagisa then pointed to the oddly placed door that seemed to connect their bedroom to a wall. Sasuke and Reiki now locked their hands firmly together to brace them for what might be behind this door. "Go ahead, open it!"

Sasuke then tucked his Sacrifice safely behind him as he opened the door and walked into an extremely large empty room. Sasuke looked around and noticed nothing other than that all the walls, the ceiling and the floor were all white.

"What is this?"

"Well it's a training room. This room uses very advanced technology that allows us to simulate any situation. You two will have access to this room whenever you please and this is where you will do all of your field training from now on." As they looked around the training room, Sasuke could feel Reiki's hand begin to shake so he held it tighter to silently comfort him. Sasuke then led Reiki out of the bright white room and back into their new bedroom before speaking to Nagisa.

"Thank you very much for all of this Sensei. We will train hard."

"I have very high hopes for you both and am excited to see what you can do. But it is getting late, so I will leave you two to get settled in. I will see you both bright and early."

"Ok." Nagisa then headed toward the large glass door, but stopped just before exited.

"Oh and I will be turning off the lights to the rest of the room but you have your own set of switches that control the lights just in here." She then pointed to the set of switches next to the door before shutting the door and locking it.

"Understood."

"Ok, good night you two!" She then skipped her way out of the lab, very satisfied with Nana's work.

Sasuke and Reiki could watch through the glass as she walked away. As soon as she had left, Reiki collapsed onto the bed in shock of everything that had just happened.

"Sasuke…I think you might be right about Nagisa-Sensei…" Sasuke then went over to the bed to join his Sacrifice and sat on the edge of the bed with his long legs placed firmly on the ground.

"I was afraid of something like this…"

"What are we going to do?" The room was silent for a few minutes as Sasuke thought of a plan.

"For now, we are going to play along with whatever she asks of us."

"And then what?"

"I…I don't know. But no matter what happens, I will protect you with my life Reiki. I won't let any harm ever come to you." Sasuke then gently lifted up the smaller boy and sat him on his lap so that they were face to face with Reiki's slender legs wrapped firmly around Sasuke's waist and his arms wrapped around his neck.

"I love you Reiki." Sasuke then pulled the boy's entire body closer to him to catch those delicate pink lips with his own. Reiki blushed wildly as Sasuke began gently nibbling on his lower lip making him let out a small gasp. Sasuke took this opportunity to slip his tongue into that wonderfully moist cavern. Reiki tasted naturally of sugar and Sasuke couldn't get enough as he explored every inch of his lover's mouth before having to break away for air. As he caught his breathe, Reiki almost got lost in Sasuke's deep amber eyes.

"I love you too Sasuke." The two of them sat there for a moment embracing each other tightly, blocking out the horrible place that they now found themselves locked in. After a few minutes Sasuke leaned back slightly and saw that Reiki had fallen asleep right there on his lap. He couldn't help but to let out a quiet chuckle at the adorable sight. Sasuke then gently laid his lover down onto the large fluffy pillows that covered their bed and placed him snuggly underneath the blanket. He then followed suit, deciding that it was best if they both get some sleep; there was no telling what that woman had planned for tomorrow.

**TBC**


	20. The Ageless Project Pt.2

Six months had now passed since Sasuke and Reiki had been incarcerated in Nagisa's scientific dungeon…

"Wake up boys!" Both boys groaned in their half sleeping state at the sound of Nagisa's high pitched voice that was screaming at them through the intercom in the ceiling of their bedroom. "I said wake up!"

"Ahh!" Reiki cried out as he and Sasuke both fell out of their bed onto to the floor in pain. They were still trying to get used to the new shock collars that had been firmly locked around their necks last month. "You can't keep treating us like goddamn animals! I'm tired of your damn tests! I'm tired of all the needles and probes! I'm tired of you already!" Reiki was now screaming at the women through the thick glass walls with his hands clasped tightly around the apparatus on his neck trying to pry it off even though he knew that they were damn near indestructible; they were even water proof. He quickly let out a scream as another electric charge was sent racing through his body.

"Ahh!" Sasuke then picked himself up off the floor and walked toward the glass to stand over his Sacrifice.

"Stop it Nagisa!" She was more lax towards Sasuke seeing as he was the Sentouki of the pair. She showed her favoritism by not sending a shock through his collar for his outburst but instead acted like he hadn't said anything at all.

"I already told you that I will remove the collars once you two can learn to behave." Reiki let out a deep growl in frustration.

"Whatever."

"That's better. Now it's time for your morning exercises." Nagisa then pressed a small red button on her console that allowed the reinforced bedroom door to pop open. Both of the boys then slowly made their way out of their room, still in only their matching pair of blue sweatpants, and stepped into the main lab area. They stood quietly as they were hooked up to the dozens of sensors then stepped onto each of their treadmills that now occupied a corner of the lab. They then began their two mile run that was now part of their everyday routine. As they ran, Nagisa and Nana sat their desks taking readings while discussing the progress of the project.

"So how have they been doing?" Nagisa shot Nana an annoyed look as she answered.

"Why are you asking me? You're the one that processes all their data and compiles all of my progress reports?"

"Well I know how they are doing on paper, but you actually spend time with them. I'm curious as to how they have developed as people." She would never admit it but there was a growing place in her heart that pitied the boys.

"Well…they are both becoming increasing strong willed. Reiki has been especially defiant lately and I can't say I'm very pleased about it. He has really grown to be an annoying little thing, fighting me every step of the way. He worries me slightly. On the other hand though, he is incredibly strong in battle. He has become rather good at taking command and he thinks very quickly on his feet. Not to mention, he can take a hit better than any Sacrifice I've seen; it's all I can do just to make him flinch. On top of all that, he is incredibly intelligent. He has received perfect scores on every test I have ever given him. It's almost a shame that he is a Sacrifice."

"What about Sasuke?"

"Sasuke is an interesting character I must say. He doesn't speak much to me and when he does everything he says seems double sided. His words and his tone completely contradict each other most of the time. He is very obedient though and his battle style shows it. He refuses to act unless instructed by Reiki to do so, except in cases when Reiki is directly in harm's way, then he becomes incredibly reckless. Other than that, I haven't been able to gauge his personality any further."

"Hmm, well it seems there is room for improvement, but overall it seems like they are doing well. Have they become any more comfortable here yet?" Nagisa then let out a small chuckle that sent chills down Nana's spine.

"Comfortable? Nana, don't you know that you aren't supposed to get attached to the subjects. Please don't let your emotions get the better of you. They are not your friends or your pets, they are specimens." Nana then swallowed her pain quickly. Even though she rarely spoke to them and really only knew them on paper, she really had grown fond of them but she knew she could never let Nagisa see that so she played it off with a small giggle.

"I'm not attached. Just curiously really; after all even a lab rat reacts differently depending on its enclosure."

"Well said. Oh! That reminds me, you know that blank that Ritsu-Sensei has been looking after?"

"Yeah, Agatsuma Soubi right?"

"Yes. Well the other day Ritsu came into the lounge going on and on about how strong he was and blah blah blah, now that he had been assigned a Sacrifice." She then paused purely for dramatic effect until Nana gave in with a sigh.

"Ok so…?"

"So…I made a bet with him that my engineered unit could beat his precious pet. The match is scheduled for tomorrow." Nagisa then had a very satisfied smirk on her face.

"Wow Nagisa, that's bold. Do you think they are ready to fight another unit?" Nana was now secretly filled with worry.

"Of course they are ready! Although…Ritsu is an impressive educator and he always seems to have an ace up his sleeve. That being the case, I would like to submit Ageless to one last test before their battle to see just how much they can handle."

"What kind of test were you thinking?" Nagisa then paused for a moment.

"I'm not really sure yet, but I'll think of something." Nana then turned back to her screen in an attempt to take her mind off her worry; she then realized that they had been talking for a while and the boys had now run four miles instead of their normal two.

"Nagisa, we forgot they were running." Nagisa then turned her head to look at the red faced boys that were still running covered in sweat and breathing heavily.

"Oops! You can stop running now!" As soon as the words left her mouth, both boys immediately stepped off the treadmills and collapsed to the floor trying desperately to catch their breathe. Once Reiki could breathe well enough to speak, he turned to yell at the blue haired scientist.

"You bitch! How could you just forget?!" Reiki then braced himself as he saw Nagisa raise her hand to the small remote that controlled their collars. The shock however, never came. Instead Nagisa looked at him with a large smile, acting as if nothing had happened. This truly puzzled him, she was usually very trigger happy with that remote.

"Why don't you two go take a shower before we proceed with the day." Reiki just shot her a questioning gaze before standing on his exhausted legs and began walking to their bathroom, followed closely by a silent Sasuke. As they walked Reiki quietly whispered to his Sentouki.

"Sasuke, make sure you stay on your guard. I think she is up to something."

"What do you think she is planning?"

"I don't know…but I know she is up to something. So just be alert."

"Understood."

As soon as she heard the water running, Nagisa sat down in her chair and turned to Nana with a frightening grin now spanning her face.

"I think I have the perfect test for them." Nana was too afraid to even ask what she was planning; with a face like that she wasn't sure she wanted to know. "I won't need you here for this test so you can take the rest of the day off."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. You are dismissed."

"Ok." Nana was incredibly worried about leaving the boys alone with Nagisa, but knew that even if she was present, there would most likely be nothing she could do to help them. She then forced herself to leave the lab, hoping with all her heart that they boys could handle whatever was coming their way.

After about a half hour, Sasuke and Reiki emerged from their bathroom, both of them now fully dressed in their matching jump suits. Once they walked into their bedroom, Reiki noticed that Nagisa and Nana were nowhere to be seen so he felt like he could finally relax for a moment. He stretched his arms high into the air before twirling around to let them rest around Sasuke's shoulders.

"Ah, I feel much better."

"Me too." Sasuke gave his Sacrifice a handsome smile before placing a tender kiss on his forehead.

Their moment of peace was quickly cut short by the sound of the lab door beeping as Nagisa entered.

"Oh good. You two are done." Reiki let out an exacerbated sigh at the sight of her. He then moved his arms off of Sasuke and moved them to place his hands firmly on his hips.

"So what will you have us do today Sensei." Reiki had now made sure to add a little extra sarcasm to his tone, just to test her mood. He got his answer as soon as he realized that he wasn't being shocked.

"Well I have a very special test for you today."

"What kind of test?" Reiki's voice quickly shifted to a much more serious tone.

"A test of your bond with each other." The boy's paused more a moment before looking at each other with smiles on both their faces.

"That's easy. Our bond couldn't be stronger." Sasuke was now the one to answer her with a smug grin.

"We shall see." Nagisa then pressed the small button on her desk that opened their door. As soon as she opened the door, she quickly entered the room and before either one of them could blink she attached a thick metal chain firmly onto the collar around Reiki's neck. Then before either of them could react, she pulled him along as she stepped back outside their room, sealing the door behind her leaving Sasuke inside. Reiki was now kicking and screaming at her.

"What are you doing?! What is all this about?!" Reiki was then dropped to his knees by a shock sent through his collar. Sasuke now had his fists pressed firmly against the glass trying desperately to keep himself calm.

"I told you, we will be testing your bond…."Nagisa paused to allow Reiki to stand back to his feet then pulled his face to be closer to her own. "Have you ever heard of forced separation?" Reiki's eyes grew wide in horror. He had no idea what that was, but he knew that it sounded bad, very bad.

"N-no…"

"Well you will be learning all about it today." Nagisa then began pulling the boy by the chain, leading him toward to door that led out of the lab. Reiki began flailing franticly and broke loose from her grasp for a moment. He immediately ran over to the glass wall that separated him and his Sentouki and pressed his hands against the glass, clawing at it in desperation.

"Sasuke!" Sasuke pressed his hands against the other side of the glass to match Reiki's. Sasuke then spoke to him in a strong soothing voice.

"Reiki, try to stay calm. Just do as she says. I know we can overcome anything, just stay strong." Reiki then rested his forehead against the glass in defeat.

"You better be right idiot…" Reiki was then wrenched from the glass by the chain and began to follow Nagisa willingly out of the lab. Once they left, Sasuke sat on the bed with his head held low staring at the floor.

'Stay strong Reiki.'

After walking up a flight of stairs and down a few hallways, Nagisa finally led Reiki to a tiny room. Once she flipped on the light, he could see that the only thing in the room was a single chair. She then pulled him over to the chair and forcibly sat him down before handcuffing him to it and then removing the chain from his collar. She then moved to be standing only a foot or two in front on him.

"Do you know what makes this room so special?"

"No." Reiki answered in a sarcastic manner. Before she answered however, his heart dropped as he looked around the room and noticed very clear scratch marks lining the walls, as well as the door frame. He seemed as though many people had tried to claw their way out of this place.

"It is insulated with a very special material that blocks any mental calls from coming in or out of this room. As soon as I close that door you will be completely blocked off from Sasuke, thus severing your bond as long you are in here." Reiki's heart was now racing and his mind was filled with anger.

"You're sick! Why would you do this?!" Nagisa answered him with a smirk.

"I told you…I will be testing your bond." Nagisa then made her way over to the open door and stepped into the hallway leaving her hand on the door handle.

"Good luck Reiki…" She then let out an evil chuckle as she slowly closed the door. The very second that the door made contact with the frame, a sharp pain shot through Reiki's heart.

"A-Ahhhh!" He quickly began breathing heavily and sweating as she rocked the chair in all directions trying to get free. His mind was now in a complete panic as he made desperate calls to his Sentouki. Every time he called to Sasuke however, it just echoed back at him.

Each moment that passed felt like an eternity and as the minutes ticked away the already overwhelming pain all over his body intensified. After another few minutes his whole body felt like it was on fire and that he might burst into flames at any moment. This room quickly became Reiki's own personal hell.

As Nagisa approached her lab, she could hear loud banging and crashing come from behind the door. The scene that she walked into was one that shook her confidence slightly. Upon opening the door she saw that Sasuke had completely destroyed everything in his cell. The bed was completely flipped over and all the pillows were torn to shreds. The small study room was also in shambles. Nagisa then noticed that she couldn't actually see where Sasuke was, so she approached the glass wall and peered inside. She scanned the entire room but was baffled when she couldn't see him anywhere. This made her extremely upset; she really wanted to see how he was reacting. After a minute or so, her twisted curiosity finally over powered her better judgment as she walked over to her console and pressed the button to open the cell door. The moment the door opened, she realized her mistake as the only thing she saw was a flash of black hair. Next thing she knew, she had been hoisted off the floor by her throat and was slammed back down onto the desk.

"What did you do?!" Sasuke's eyes had now changed color to a deep burning red and his hands were pressed firmly around Nagisa's neck.

"I-I severed your bond with Reiki but only temporarily." Nagisa was now terrified by the look on the large man's face and was struggling to take air into her lungs.

"How dare you!"

"I…." Before she could try and answer, Nagisa was swiftly thrown hard against a wall. The impact knocked all the air from her lungs and she collapsed to the floor and cold only look on in fear as Sasuke began ripping through every inch of the lab area.

"Where is he?!" Nagisa answered in a shaky voice.

"He is in another room one floor above us." This was all Sasuke needed. He made a dash for the door and tore it right off its hinges.

As soon as Sasuke ran out of the room, Nagisa painfully pulled herself up off the floor and reached for her cell phone that was sitting in the desk. She quickly dialed a number with shaking hands.

"Hello?"

"Nana! Sasuke has escaped! Lock the entire academy down now! He is very dangerous and we cannot let him or Reiki leave the building."

"Escaped?! Ok, I'm on it!" Nagisa then clicked the phone shut and allowed herself to slip back down onto the floor.

Sasuke had now made his way quickly up the stairs and began tearing through hallway after hallway, using his heightened senses to try and find any sign of his Sacrifice. As he turned and headed down another hallway, he was stopped dead in his tracks by the subtle sound of weak shallow breathing. He followed the sound to a door at the very end of the hallway, he stopped there for a moment taking everything into every one of his sense. He suddenly picked up the mild scent of lavender and chestnuts that Reiki had always smelled of. Sasuke then burst through the door, almost tearing the frame from the building. As soon as the door opened, Sasuke saw his Sacrifice slumped over and handcuffed to a chair.

"Reiki!" He quickly rushed over to the chair and pried open the handcuffs open with his bare hands. He then swiftly moved to the front of the chair just in time to catch Reiki as he fell to the floor. Sasuke scooped the boy up on one of his strong arms.

"Reiki! Wake up please!" But it was no use; he was now completely unconscious from the trauma. After failing to wake him up, Sasuke pressed the boy tighter against him and made his way out of the room.

Sasuke then began wondering around the academy aimlessly trying to find a way out; this was actually the first time he had been free inside the school so he had no idea where he was going. He finally arrived at the top of a long straight staircase. He looked down the stair way and saw the two large double doors that led out of the academy. The only thing keeping him from freedom now was Nagisa sensei accompanied by Ritsu as well a whole security team with guns drawn that were standing in front of the exit. Sasuke stood his ground at the top of the stairs as Nagisa yelled up to him.

"Sasuke! You are not leaving this building, alive at least. So why don't you be a good boy and come down here peacefully." Sasuke then let out a deep guttural growl. He was really wishing that Reiki was awake; he would know what to do. But the fact of the matter was that he was unconscious, so Sasuke closed his eyes, took in a deep breath and did the only thing he could think of. Nagisa watched him carefully as he slowly extended his free arm fully towards them. She then let out a loud chuckle as she saw the name printed on his left hand begin to glow as it would if he was in battle.

"Have you learned nothing Sasuke? You know damn well that it's impossible to use spells outside of battle, well not any spells that would do you any good anyway." She began to laugh at his pitiful attempt; but she was quickly quieted when she saw Sasuke slowly open his blood red eyes and noticed that there were now small droplets of blood falling from his hand.

"It's not going to work Sasuke!" Her voice was now beginning to shake slightly. Her words however feel on deaf ears.

" _Absolute darkness! Hide us away from all prying eyes!"_  As soon as the words left his mouth Nagisa and Ritsu were both absolutely shocked when every single light in the whole building exploded all at once, leaving them in complete darkness.

"Quick! Spread out! Find them! Use any means necessary to keep them in this building!" All of the security officers then flipped on their flash lights and spread out in search of the fugitives. After barking out orders, Nagisa then made her way to Ritsu's office with him to wait on the security team.

Nagisa was now pacing the length of Ritsu's office while he sat calmly in his chair as he usually did. It was a half hour before the head of security walked into the office.

"Ma'am, one of my men has just found that one of the windows on the first floor has been broken out from the inside. I'm afraid we have lost the targets." Nagisa then just plopped down in the chair opposite Ritsu.

"OK, you are dismissed." The man then left the office and Nagisa slumped back in her chair. The room was silent for several minutes before Ritsu spoke in his normal calm voice.

"Well it seems that the Ageless Project was a failure." Nagisa then let out a depressed sigh.

"Yeah, I guess it was."

"I highly suggest you learn from this Nagisa. You need to remember that even though they may be your subjects, if they aren't comfortable or they are in pain, they will always turn against you; just as a dog that has been kicked one too many times will turn on its master." These words then brought that oh too familiar smirk to Nagisa's face as she stood from her chair and walked silently to the door. Before exiting, she turned to Ritsu and spoke in a low devilish voice.

"You're right Ritsu…I see where I've made mistakes. As long as my subjects can feel pain, they will never obey me. And you better believe that our bet is still on; as soon as I get the lab up and running I will be starting a new project."

"Oh? And what is that?" Ritsu was now being very coy with her.

"I'm calling it…The Zero Project."

-X

As soon as Sasuke smashed through the window he paused for a brief second to take in the sensation of cool damp soil on his bare feet for the first time in his life. Once he got over the new feeling he wrapped his other arm around Reiki and began running. He kept on running until his legs began to buckle underneath him. He thought he must have been running for miles. He now thought that he was far enough away from the academy that he could stop running. He stopped for a moment and looked all around him, to try and assess where he was. He now found himself in the middle of the woods and he knew that he couldn't stay there so he continued walking in hopes of finding somewhere they would be safe.

Sasuke walked through the woods for what felt like hours until he finally came to the forest edge and could see the lights of a small town just ahead of him. He made his way into the quiet little town and walked the streets until he came across an inn. He was now extremely thankful that in all of the commotion back at the academy, he had managed to steal a rather large sum of money from Nagisa's safe in her office. He then slowly stumbled his way into the inn, approaching the counter before quietly speaking to the inn keeper.

"Excuse me, we need a room for the night." The man looked up from his computer screen to look at the man addressing him and he immediately noticed the boy that was passed out in his arms.

"Hey, is your friend ok?! Does he need medical attention?" The man had now stood up, ready to race to the phone to call for help if needed.

"No, he is fine. He is just sleeping, but we need a room please." The inn keeper sat back down in his chair and reached into a drawer to pull out a key.

"Absolutely sir." He then handed the key to Sasuke. "That'll be $45 for the night."

Sasuke shifted Reiki's weight to be held in one arm again so that he could reach into the pocket of his jumpsuit. Sasuke then took a small step to be closer to the man behind the desk and slid him $500. The man was in shock and was completely confused.

"If anyone comes looking for us, I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention that we are or ever were here." The man then simply nodded as he took the money.

"If you go up the stairs, you're room is the last one on the left. Have a good night Sir."

Sasuke then headed directly to their room. Once he entered the room, he scanned it quickly. It was just a small simple room that contained a bed and a nightstand as well as an attached bathroom. Even though it was small and almost empty, it was a nice change from their usual glass walls and steel barriers. After looking at their room, Sasuke made his way to the bed and gently laid Reiki down onto the pillows, pulling the covers over him as he did. He was keeping a close eye on his breathing and heart rate, and was hoping that all he needed was some rest. After making sure that Reiki was safely tucked into the bed, Sasuke made his way into the small bathroom and found a small rag. As he returned to the bedroom, he tightly wrapped the rag around his hand that was still lightly bleeding. After tending to his wound, he finally crawled into the bed placing one of his arms around the sleeping figure next to him. Sasuke wasn't sure what they were going to do or where they were going to go, but he fell asleep with a smile knowing that tomorrow would be the start of a new life of freedom for both himself and his Sacrifice.

Both of the boys slept soundly in the small bed until something suddenly awoke Sasuke around 2 AM.

"SASUKE!" Reiki suddenly shot up in the bed as he screamed. Sasuke immediately sat up and wrapped both of his arms around his Sacrifice in an attempt to calm him.

"Reiki, it's ok. I'm here." Sasuke's voice was soft and soothing to the red haired boy that was now breathing heavily and shaking.

"Sasuke! W-where are we?!"

"Please calm down. We are at an inn, I'm not exactly sure where though." Reiki then slumped forward, breaking free of Sasuke's grasp, and held his head in his hands as he tried to slow his breathing and calm down.

"What happened?"

"Nagisa temporarily severed our bond to each other when she locked you in that room. When she did, I was in incredible pain and I couldn't call to you, then I lost control." Reiki then lifted his head to look at his Sentouki.

"What did you do?"

"I broke out of the lab and I came to find you. You were already passed out by the time I did. Then I escaped from the academy and I carried you here." Reiki was completely silent as he tried to take in all this information. He then noticed the make shift bandaged wrapped around Sasuke's hand and immediately grabbed his hand, pulling it roughly closer for inspection.

"Sasuke what happened to your hand?!"

"Well when I was trying to get out of the academy, Nagisa had a whole team of guards blocking the exit…so I did the only thing I could think of…I used a spell to summon darkness so that we could escape. The memory of it is blurry though. All I remember is that my name started bleeding and as I was casting the spell my whole body ached." Sasuke was then taken by surprise by a small hand slapping him on the back side of the head.

"OW! What did you do that for?!"

"Idiot! Don't ever do something like that again. We have no idea how badly that could have gone. You can't be reckless like that."

"I understand that. It's just that you were knocked out so I didn't know what else to do." Reiki then shifted his body to be perched up on his knees facing Sasuke with a stern yet playful expression.

"I will forgive you this time but from now on please try to be more careful."

"I will." The room was filled with silence for several minutes as Reiki once again became entranced in Sasuke's eyes that had now returned to their normal amber color.

"So what do we do now Sasuke?"

"Well personally the first thing I'd like to do is get rid of everything that reminds me of that horrible woman." Reiki now tilted his head to the side in curiosity.

"Oh? What do you mean?"

"Well I think first thing in the morning I'd like to buy us both some normal clothes." Reiki's furry red ears then perked up as he caught on.

"Oh I see! Maybe I could get a haircut too!" Sasuke couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at the sight of his Sacrifice that was now wagging his tail wildly.

"Yes, we can get you a haircut if you'd like.

"Damn right I can!" Reiki then let out an adorable laugh. "Oh but wait…we don't have any money. How can we do anything?" This brought a grin to Sasuke's face, he was still very proud of himself on this matter.

"Well it just so happens that before we left the academy, I managed to make off with a small fortune that Nagisa was keeping in a safe in her office."

"Really?! Wow, I'm impressed Sasuke; I guess you can think pretty quickly when you need to." Sasuke then gave Reiki's head a good pet as he laughed.

"Don't under estimate me neko-chan." Reiki's face then went bright red.

"Hey don't call me that jerk!" The atmosphere in the room shifted rather quickly as Reiki's last comment gave Sasuke a wonderfully devilish idea. Sasuke was quick to put on a sly grin as he leaned forward slightly and ran one of his long fingers up the length of one of Reiki's ears, sending chills down his spine.

"Well if you don't want me to call you that…there is a remedy to that." Reiki's cheeks then went bright red.

"W-what do you mean?" Reiki quickly caught on when his Sentouki nearly pounced on him, pinning his arms down onto the bed and straddling him so that he was now hovering over the defenseless boy.

"You know Reiki…I can't think of any better way to celebrate our freedom than getting rid of these ears of ours." Sasuke's voice was now seductively low and gruff; just the sound of his voice made Reiki's whole body tingle.

"B-but I like my ears." Reiki then put on a very pouty face. He loved Sasuke with all his heart and would love nothing more than to give himself to him, but he really did like his ears. He loved the way they looked on him. He was very conflicted now.

"I know you like them…but I think you would look even cuter without them." Sasuke was now determined to convince the boy to see things his way. He slowly lowered his head and latched firmly onto Reiki's neck kissing and nibbling, causing red marks to taint his soft pale skin until he finally wrestled a small moan from the boy beneath him.

"S-Sasuke…stop it!" Sasuke had no intentions of that and continued marking Reiki's flesh while applying just enough pressure to keep his struggling arms pinned to the bed.

"Ah…" Reiki couldn't help but to let out another moan when Sasuke licked at a spot right behind his ear that made his stomach flutter and his face flush. Sasuke was defiantly driving a hard bargain.

After a few minutes of Sasuke's attack on Reiki's neck, he finally felt the boy relax and stop struggling. He made sure take advantage of this and pulled the boy's torso up from the bed and gently slipped of his shirt before letting him fall back onto the bed. He then shifted his aim to one of the perky nipples that graced Reiki's small but perfectly muscled chest. As he began licking at it gently, Reiki let a few gasps escape his mouth. Before Sasuke could make his way to Reiki's other nipple, the sensual situation had lit a fire in the red haired boy. He let out a small growl and then suddenly shot forward to pin the larger man onto the bed, catching him completely off guard. Reiki then released his frustrations by licking at Sasuke's collar bone lightly, making him shiver slightly. He then made quick work of the shirt that separated him from the strong chest that he longed for. Once Sasuke's shirt was taken care of, Reiki began exploring every inch of the exposed flesh with soft lips and a delicate tongue, finally earning him a small grunt from Sasuke. Reiki then tentatively explored his new found sexuality by sinking his teeth into the side of Sasuke's neck applying firm pressure as he did.

"Ahh…"Sasuke let out a rather loud deep moan at this action that sent his body temperature on the rise. Sasuke then dominated the situation by flipping their positions once again, except this time he pinned the boy onto the bed on his stomach before tearing away his pants, leaving the boy in nothing but his tight boxers. Sasuke then restrained his Sacrifices arms again before biting and licking at the back of his neck, making him moan into the pillows. Reiki tried to wiggle free so that he could regain control, but Sasuke was far too strong and he quickly realized that it was a fruitless effort and all he could do was writhe around the bed; but he was getting increasingly hot at the feeling of Sasuke's now very hard member that was rubbing against him through the thin fabric of his pants. Reiki then mustered all his strength and bucked his Sentouki off of him before quickly pouncing on him. Reiki wasted no time in removing the larger man's pants along with his boxers, releasing his throbbing member. He then put on a sly grin as he decided that if Sasuke was determined to make him a submissive lover that he was at least going to play the part extremely well.

Sasuke was now lying completely exposed on the bed with Reiki's head hovering teasingly above his cock. Reiki then shot Sasuke an incredibly seductive glare before slowly dragging his tongue lightly across the sensitive tip of his member, earning him another deep grunt. Sasuke then threw his head back as the red haired boy lowered his mouth, taking his member into his mouth, swirling his tongue around it while he bobbed his head up and down the length of it.

"Reiki…" The boy then moaned loudly against his erection, making his mouth vibrate around it making the older man gasp.

Reiki continued the assault until Sasuke began grabbing at his deep red locks, pulling on them ever so gently. Sasuke could feel the knot in his stomach getting tighter and tighter to the point that he was ready to explode; but he had other plans in mind so he pulled up on the hair that was clasped in his hands, wrenching the boys head off his erection. He then reached down and pulled the boy up to him before pinning him underneath him again. Sasuke then got rid of the last piece of clothing that was keeping him from the treasure he desired so badly, exposing his weeping erection. Sasuke then sat up on his knees and very seductively licked the entire length of two of his own fingers until they were nice and wet. This sight made Reiki blush wildly, but his attention was quickly turned to the sensation of a finger being swiftly inserted into his tight entrance.

"Ahhh!" Reiki screamed out in a mixture of pleasure and pain, but Sasuke was not letting up and he began swirling his finger around inside his lover before adding a second finger. Reiki was now grasping onto the blankets as Sasuke began gently but quickly stretching him and pressing in deeper.

"Nnhmm…" Reiki's moans were now defiantly sounds of pleasure.

That tight pressure then began building inside of the small boy and he was already on the verge of climax, but Sasuke removed his fingers just in time. Sasuke then carefully positioned himself in between Reiki's slender legs, but he was quickly pushed away. Reiki then gave him a sexy grin before turning himself over and lifting his perfectly round ass high into the air with his tail wagging back and forth slowly in a very inviting manner. He then looked over his shoulder to his amber eyed lover and toyed with him ever so nicely.

"I want you Sasuke…" The sultry sound of that voice made Sasuke's erection throb almost painfully and he couldn't take it any longer. He propped himself up onto his knees and positioned himself against Reiki's begging entrance. He then quickly plunged himself deep inside the boy.

"AHH!" Much to Sasuke's surprise, this was not a cry of pain but a cry of pure pleasure, but just to be safe he stayed still for a moment to let the boy adjust to his length.

"Sasuke…please…I need you…" Reiki moaned every single word and that was all that Sasuke needed. He then pulled his hips back before thrusting back into his lover.

"Nnn…faster…" Sasuke gladly followed his orders and quickened the pace. Then he suddenly received a loud scream from the boy as he hit that tight bundle of nerves that he had been searching for.

"AHH! Harder Sasuke…" Now that he found that special spot, Sasuke grabbed on tightly to Reiki's hips that fit perfectly into his large hands and began slamming into him, letting out deep grunts and moans with each motion. Sasuke then began to feel his lover's muscles tighten around his erection so he quickened the pace even further.

"Sasuke! I..I'm going to..AHHH!" Reiki couldn't even finish as Sasuke drove his member into that spot, sending him over the edge and fully releasing himself onto the bed underneath him as he through his head back in ecstasy. Sasuke immediately followed, spilling his release deep inside his Sacrifice.

"Reiki!" Sasuke then removed his shaft and collapsed onto the bed trying to catch his breathe. Reiki rolled back over onto his back and wrapped an arm around his lover.

They both lay there for a moment reveling in the moment before Reiki began yawning excessively, completely exhausted. Sasuke was far too tired to change the sheets or even get up to put clothes on so he simply wrapped Reiki up tightly in his arms and let him drift away to sleep with his head rested gently on his chest. He then pulled the blanket over both of their bodies and looked down at the boy sleeping peacefully, taking one last look at the adorable ears that were now slowly fading away from his lover's head. Sasuke placed a tender kiss on Reiki's forehead before letting himself begin to sleep away into sleep.

"I love you Reiki."

 


	21. Practice Makes Perfect

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now back to the main story line.

It was well into the afternoon by the time Ritsuka sat up in the bed, stretching his arms up and yawning wide. As he wiped the sleep from his eyes, he looked over and noticed that Soubi had already woken up and wasn't in the bed with him. He lay back in the bed for a few minutes, relaxing and allowing himself to wake up fully, before he finally decided to get up out of the bed to go find Soubi. He made his way out of the bedroom and down the stairs. As he descended the stair case he was captivated by the smell of bacon that was coming from the kitchen. When he finally arrived into the kitchen he saw Soubi standing in front of the stove flipping pancakes in a large pan. Soubi then turned his head to give Ritsuka that smile that he had grown to love so very much.

"Good morning Ritsuka; well afternoon really."

"Yeah, I guess I kind of over slept."

"It's alright, its Sunday so you get to sleep in all you want. I made you breakfast." Ritsuka then scampered his way to sit at the kitchen table. He really did love breakfast foods, even if it wasn't breakfast time anymore.

"I can see that. Thank you Sou-chan!" As soon as the boy sat down, Soubi grabbed a plate, piled it high with pancakes and bacon, and then placed it in front of Ritsuka who picked up his fork with a smile and wasted no time indulging in his breakfast.

Soubi quickly finished doing the dishes and walked into his studio unnoticed while Ritsuka ate. Right as Ritsuka was finishing his last pancake he looked up from his plate to see Soubi walking out of his studio with hands tucked behind his back.

"I have something else for you Ritsu-Chan" Soubi now had a beautiful grin as we walked over to the table and slid a small manila file folder over to Ritsuka. Ritsuka's face was very puzzled as he slowly opened the folder. When he did, he discovered several pages of paper. He gave them a quick scan and saw that the first few were lists and descriptions of spells and the last two pages were both titled 'How to use'.

"Soubi what is all this?" Soubi then moved to sit down in the seat opposite of Ritsuka.

"Well, you mentioned that you had been doing some research into inoffensive spells. So I decided to do some research of my own and managed to come up with some pretty promising results. Those pages are a list of a few that I came across and then there is a page that I found on how to go about using such spells." Ritsuka was in awe for a moment as he continued to scan the pages.

"This is really impressive Soubi…So do you really think it's possible to pull these off?" Soubi then stood up from his chair and leaned all the way across the table to catch Ritsuka's lips in a quick tender kiss, which sent Ritsuka's mind flying back to the memory of his and Soubi's very first meeting in the park.

"With you by my side Ritsuka…anything is possible." Ritsuka was now blushing slightly with a smile still slightly stuck in his fond memory.

"Then we will have to give these a try wont we?"

"Yes, but how to suppose we go about testing them?" Ritsuka thought for a moment on this, trying to think of a plan.

"Well we could ask Ritsu-Sensei to let us battle some of his students…but I don't really want him knowing that we are learning these spells, so that's not a good idea…" Ritsuka was interrupted by a knock on the front door. "I wonder who that could be."

"I'll go find out." Soubi then left the table and went to the door. Before opening the door he looked through the small peek hole to see who it was. As soon as he did, he saw some rather surprising faces and he turned back to Ritsuka with a small chuckle.

"It seems like our new friends had the same plans as you Ritsuka." Ritsuka gave him a puzzled look and was a little surprised when Soubi opened the door to a small smiling red haired boy and his tall cool faced companion.

"Hi Ritsuka-kun!" The red haired boy exclaimed as he waved wildly from the doorstep. Ritsuka then stood form the table and walked to the door to meet them.

"Hello Reiki-san, Sasuke-san" Reiki immediately stuck out his tongue in disgust as this statement.

"Yuck! Don't call us San Ritsuka. It makes me feel old."

"Oh, sorry. It's a habit I guess."

"It's ok. I'll forgive you this time Ritsuka-kun." The boy then returned his face to his usual grin.

"So, to what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?" Soubi asked the boy with a gentle smile.

"Well we just wanted to stop by and see how Ritsuka was doing." Before Ritsuka answered, he was became slightly puzzled for a moment and answered with a question of his own.

"Wait, how did you know where we live?" The tall dark haired man then gave a small chuckle with his reply.

"Well you work for Ritsu-Sensei, so your whereabouts are not exactly a secret."

"Oh, well yeah I guess I never really thought about that." Reiki then chimed in with his two cents.

"Not to mention that Sasuke did some snooping through Nagisa's files after you left." This earned the boy a good shove from his frowning Sentouki.

"Shut up Reiki." The red haired boy quickly returned with a firm punch to Sasuke's arm.

"Don't shove me jerk!" This little scene made both Ritsuka and Soubi laugh slightly which reminded the arguing couple that they were there.

"Anyway…How are you doing Ritsuka-kun?"

"I'm fine and thank you again for helping me out of there. I hope Nagisa gets what she deserves though." Sasuke gave a grin as he informed Ritsuka of Nagisa's situation.

"Well then it might please you to know that, on top of being placed as the teacher for almost all of the classes for the Sacrifices; she is also been on house arrest and is not allowed to leave her lab other than to go classes. And I've heard whispers that Ritsu has cut her budget in half. So needless to say, she is not very happy at the present moment." This did in fact; bring a very satisfied smile to Soubi's face and a big grin to Ritsuka's. After a moment of happy smiles and small laughs, an idea quickly fluttered its way across Ritsuka's mind. He then put on a gracious smile before speaking to their guests again.

"Would you guys like to come in for a bit?" Sasuke and Reiki looked at each other before accepting the invitation and stepping inside the large home. When they entered they both slid off their shoes and followed Ritsuka to sit at the kitchen table.

"Soubi will you please make some tea?" Soubi silently answered by immediately putting the tea kettle on the stove.

"Thank you Ritsuka. You guys have a really nice home." Reiki gave a large smile as he spoke.

"Thank you very much but it's actually Soubi's house, I just live here." He then gave a small chuckle before looking down at himself and realized that he was still wearing his clothes from yesterday that he had fallen asleep in. "Oh, excuse me for a minute, I'm going to go change." Ritsuka's guests gave him a nod before he stood from the table and quickly made his way upstairs to the master bedroom.

As Ritsuka was quickly getting dressed, his mind was racing with plans about the idea that had crossed his mind a few minutes ago. He was racking his brain on how to go about executing his plan safely and properly. He wasn't sure at all if his plans would go well, but he thought that this was an opportunity he couldn't pass up. After getting dressed, he quietly walked down the hallway just enough to make himself heard but not enough to make himself seen.

"Hey Soubi! Can you come here for a second? I need your help with something." Soubi heard the call and looked to the duo sitting at the table.

"I'm sorry; you'll have to excuse me as well for a moment."

"Ok Soubi. You know you don't have to ask, we are your guests after all." Reiki never really cared much about being proper, so all the politeness was very foreign to him.

"Very well." Soubi then made his way to the bedroom to meet his Sacrifice and Reiki turned to his Sentouki, placing his elbows up on the table.

"I wonder what those two are up to."

"Don't be nosey Reiki." The smaller boy then let out an aggravated sigh.

"Don't tell me what to do."

The moment that Soubi entered the room, Ritsuka quickly shut the door behind him, startling him slightly.

"Is everything ok Ritsuka?" Ritsuka didn't answer right away but instead took Soubi by the hand and led him over to the bed and sat him down before sitting down beside him. Soubi watched in silence as Ritsuka then pulled out the manila folder that he had grabbed from the table before excusing himself.

"Soubi, I want to try these spells."

"I know, but you already said that we can't ask Ritsu to use his students. Is this why you called me up here?" Ritsuka then took a deep breath and put on a stern face.

"Soubi…I want to challenge Ageless to a battle to test these." Soubi's eyes immediately grew wide at this idea.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? I thought you wanted to be friends with them?"

"I do want to be friends with them, but I can't think of any of way to try these out and we need to test them to even see if they are possible."

"Well then why don't we ask them first or at least let them know."

"No. I want them to fight with their full power; if we ask or let them know then I can't be sure they aren't going easy on us or something like that. Besides, I want to test these in the most realistic scenario possible, which means they can't know until we challenge them." Soubi then sat in silence for a moment, weighing this situation in his mind. No matter how much he thought on it, Soubi still wasn't completely convinced this was a good idea; and even more worrisome, he was beginning to become very concerned as to why Ritsuka was so intense about these spells. Finally after a few minutes, Ritsuka became tired of waiting.

"Soubi, we are going to challenge them to a battle and we are going to try these spells…that's an order." All doubts were then immediately washed form Soubi's mind.

"Understood."

"Good." Ritsuka then flipped open the folder and began riffling through the pages. "Ok now, I want to try this one here."

"Only one?"

"Yes, just one for now; and I want you to only defend until I give you the order to use the spell. Do not under any circumstances cast any offensive spells, even if I am taking damage."

"Ok I understand. How would you like to go about challenging them?" Ritsuka was silent in thought for a short moment before answering.

"Just follow my lead. I'll let you know when to challenge."

"Ok." The two of them both then stood from the bed and made their way to the bedroom door side by side. Before Ritsuka could reach for the handle, Soubi gently grabbed his hand to stop him.

"What is it Soubi?" Ritsuka was slightly annoyed at this delay.

"Ritsuka I have to know…why are these spells so important to you?" Ritsuka's expression then changed to an odd mixture of anger and sadness and he spoke in a low solemn voice.

"Ever since that night…when I had to hurt my friend, I decided that I can't trust Ritsu. I want to get back at him for everything he has done…to me and to you; and one day I will get that chance, but until then we work for him and I never know what he might make us do. I want to master these spells so that he can never force me to hurt anyone ever again. We may work for him, but I will prove to him that he is not our master and we are not his puppets; we walk our path and do things our way." Soubi was immensely moved by Ritsuka's intentions and finally understood why he wanted to go this route. He then leaned down and placed a delicate kiss on Ritsuka's cheek.

"Well, let's get going then Ritsuka, we shouldn't keep them waiting."

They both then left the bedroom and descended the stairs together, arriving into the kitchen to find their guests talking with each other with tea cups in hand. As soon as he noticed their presence, Reiki addressed them in a playful tone.

"I hope you don't mind, we went ahead and made tea ourselves while you were gone." Soubi gave his usual smile to them.

"That's quite fine. I apologize for our absence."

"It's fine really." Sasuke answered in a very cool voice.

Ritsuka then sat back down at the table while Soubi walked over to the counter to pour himself a cup of tea. As they all sat there, Ritsuka did his best to act normal and tried to strike up conversation.

"So, how old are you anyway Reiki? You look like you couldn't be much older than I am." The boy gave a rather annoyed face at this; he strongly disagreed that he looked as young as Ritsuka.

"Sasuke and I are both technically seven years old, but we are designed to be twenty three." Ritsuka's face could not have been more astonished and confused at this statement.

"Um, I don't understand." Reiki then let out a small sigh.

"Well long story short, Nagisa created us seven years ago but she designed us to be twenty three. That is why our true name is Ageless; we were created as a unit that doesn't age." Ritsuka was beginning to understand but was still confused.

"I had no idea that Nagisa created anyone other than the Zero's." Reiki then let out a small growl that was audible only to Sasuke, who placed a large hand gently on his Sacrifices thigh underneath the table to calm him. This was a tender subject for Reiki; although he hated Nagisa with all of his being, he had a deep rooted jealousy of the Zero's. Reiki then made sure to calm himself before continuing.

"Well she created us as her first attempt at an artificial unit, and then after she decided we weren't perfect, she ditched us and made the Zero's." Reiki felt a little bad about lying to Ritsuka; he really did want to be friends, he just didn't really want to go into the story if he didn't have to.

"Wow, I'm really sorry to hear that." Ritsuka had no idea that they were one of Nagisa's creations and he was now starting to get a little worried about battling them.

"It's fine, really. It's no big deal." There was then a few moments of silence in the kitchen before Ritsuka looked at Reiki with a large smile.

"Would you two like to make some memories with me sometime?" Reiki raised an eyebrow in slight confusion.

"Make memories?" Ritsuka then gave a small giggle.

"Pictures. I like to take pictures with my friends so that I can always have the memories." Reiki then perked up with a smile.

"Oh, ok. That sounds fun. We don't really have any friends, so we would love to make memories with you."

"You don't have any friends?"

"No, not really." Ritsuka was now really feeling guilty but did his best to push those feelings aside and keep his cool.

"Well, we are your friends." All four of them were now all smiles at the idea of this new found friendship.

A few moments of small talk then passed before Sasuke looked up at the clock and noticed the time.

"Reiki, we should get back to the academy before Ritsu starts complaining."

"Ok Sasuke." The two of them then stood from the table together. "Thank you for having us over." As Ritsuka stood from the table as well, he mind was racing with thoughts and worries about his plan and his heart was racing at a painful pace.

"Yeah, anytime." Ritsuka's voice was now audibly shaky and his expression was a visibly forced smile. This alerted Sasuke's sensitive senses and he tensed up slightly. Reiki also picked up on Ritsuka's odd demeanor.

"Are you ok Ritsuka?" Reiki's voice was genuinely concerned, but his concern didn't last very long. Ritsuka quickly slammed his shaking hands on the table in frustration.

"I'm sorry…" Reiki was now extremely confused.

"Sorry for wh-" He was cut off by Ritsuka's now loud and shaking voice.

"Now Soubi!" In an instant, Soubi was at Ritsuka's side and looking Sasuke directly in the eyes.

"I declare this to be a battle of spells." Reiki was in complete shock; while Sasuke was simply sending a deep glare back at Soubi.

"What?! Are you serious Ritsuka?!" Ritsuka then stood up straight and firm with a very serious expression.

"Yes." Reiki was completely taken aback, but was now very pissed off more than anything.

"Fine! Sasuke, let's go!" Sasuke then spoke without ever breaking eye contact with Soubi.

"We Accept." With those words the battle area quickly erupted and expanded consuming the entire house.

"We are Loveless, one's without love, with a bond that not even our name can defy."

"We are Ageless, not even time can defeat us." Sasuke then took a small step to widen his stance for stability, awaiting orders. Reiki was very quick to bark orders firmly at his Sentouki.

"Sasuke! Attack!"

" _Tear! Rip the enemy to pieces!"_  The attack was fast, but Soubi was still faster because he didn't need his every move commanded to him; that is what made them different from most units, Ritsuka trusted Soubi enough to know that he didn't need to control his every move like most Sacrifices do.

" _Resolve! No harm will come to us."_ Soubi's defense quickly sent out a shockwave that dissolved away the restraints that were rushing toward Ritsuka. This forced an angry growl from Reiki.

"Sasuke, attack again!"

" _Suspend! Break through all walls to reach the enemy!"_ This sent glowing restraints flying again toward Ritsuka, this time breaking through the barrier and coming within inches of him before Soubi countered.

" _Deflect! Turn away all attacks!"_ Soubi was again successful as a large bright wave of light passed within inches of Ritsuka's face, separating him from the restraints and sending them off in a different direction.

"Goddamn it Sasuke! Land an attack already!" Reiki's frustration was quickly building.

" _Suffocate! Steal the very breath away from our enemy!"_ This attack came much faster than Soubi could even react. It took only seconds for three heavy chain restraints to latch onto Ritsuka, pulling him to his knees. Ritsuka gritted his teeth at the pain but he refused to cry out. Soubi quickly turned his head to see his Sacrifice with his usual worried expression.

"I-I'm fine…" Soubi nodded and stood still and silent, sending Reiki into a confused rage.

"Why won't you attack?! What the fuck are you doing?!" He was met with silence. "Fine! Finish them Sasuke!"

" _Flatten! Crush the enemy completely!"_ Soubi was quick to respond this time.

" _Solidify! Fortify all defenses! Nothing will reach us!"_ The large bubble that still surrounded them then began to glow brighter, just the light from it causing the incoming restraints to melt away.

"Damn it Sasuke!"

Ritsuka then painfully pulled himself up back onto his feet, with blood dripping from the restraints around his neck. He then choked out his words firmly.

"Soubi! Now!" Reiki and Sasuke could then only watch on in absolute confusion and fear at what was unfolding before them.

Soubi moved to be standing behind Ritsuka and then placed one of his large hands just underneath Ritsuka's shirt to rest it firmly over the name across the boy's chest. He then raised his other hand slowly toward their opponent with his palm wide open. After another few seconds, both of their names began to glow so brightly that Sasuke and Reiki could read it through their clothes. This sent Reiki into full panic mode.

"W-what are you doing?!" His question was soon answered when Soubi and Ritsuka spoke in perfect unison.

" _Stasis! Paralyze all nerves and completely restrain the enemy!"_ Reiki and Sasuke then held their breath waiting for some sign of attack, but they saw nothing. It then only took a few seconds for Sasuke to turn to his Sacrifice to see Reiki staring at his body in shock. Reiki was now completely wrapped from head to toe in cuffs and chains.

"Reiki!" Sasuke screamed in horror at the sight and he ran to his Sacrifice that was silent and paralyzed in shock. Sasuke then shot a fiery red gaze to Soubi as the blonde spoke.

" _Victory."_  With that final word from Soubi's lips, the battle area collapsed upon itself and all restraints dissolved away from both Sacrifices.

As soon as the area collapsed, Sasuke wrapped his arms around Reiki as he fell to his knees, still silent. This sent Sasuke into a blind fury and he quickly made his way to Soubi, slamming him against the kitchen table, pinning him down.

"What did you do to him?!" Sasuke's eyes were not their usual amber color but were now blood red. Soubi said nothing, but Ritsuka swiftly made his way to try and pull Sasuke off of Soubi.

"Sasuke! I'm sorry, please let him go and let me explain!" Sasuke replied with a deep growl, but was immediately snapped out of his rage by the sound of Reiki's voice.

"Sasuke…stop. Let him go." Reiki's voice was calm yet shaky. Sasuke then let Soubi go and ran over to Reiki.

"Are you ok? Are you hurt?" Reiki did not answer, but stood firmly to his feet and shot his now stern expression directly at Ritsuka.

"What did you do? Why did I feel no pain?" Sasuke's eyes then grew wide as they reverted to their natural color.

"What? What do you mean you felt no pain?" Ritsuka calmly walked over to the red haired boy to answer his previous question.

"It's called an inoffensive spell. It is a way to restrain an opponent without causing any harm or pain." Reiki's was now in shock once more and his expression was firm but puzzled.

"I had no idea such a thing existed."

"Neither did we. But I came across it while researching spells; they are supposed to only be a myth. Please forgive me for what I did. I had to see if these spells were possible and you two were the only people I could think of to test them without Ritsu knowing about it."

"I…I can't believe something like that was possible." There was then a long pause. "I understand why you did what you did Ritsuka. I honestly can't blame you; I would do the same thing in your position."

The atmosphere then began to lighten up once Sasuke was sure that his partner was unharmed. As both pairs collected themselves, there was nothing but silence. Sasuke was the first one to break the silence.

"Soubi, I apologize."

"It's ok. I understand fully."

"Thank you. Now, we really must go; it's getting late and Ritsu will not be very pleased."

"Understood."

Reiki and Sasuke then made their way for the door, followed by Ritsuka and Soubi. Reiki placed his hand on the door knob and let it rest there as he spoke.

"Ritsuka…I understand why you did this, but I will only forgive you on one condition."

"Anything Reiki…I still want to be friends. What can I do to earn your forgiveness?" Reiki then paused for a moment before speaking, abruptly reverting back to his usual bubbly self.

"You have to teach us how to use those spells." Reiki then gave a large smile and Ritsuka met it with a smile of his own.

"Of course."

"Good. Then the next time we see you, I expect a full training session." He then put on a large toothy grin before departing the house with Sasuke close in toe.

**TBC**


	22. New Friends and New Places

Ritsuka gave his new friends one last relieved wave as they walked out of sight before closing the front door and turning to his Sentouki.

"Soubi, I'm really-"

Mid-sentence, Ritsuka felt his knees buckle and the whole room begin to spin. He then collapsed onto the ground of the entry way completely unconscious. Soubi quickly went to his Sacrifice and wrapped the boy up in his arms calmly and gently. He picked up his small lover from the floor and began carrying him up the stairs to the bedroom, the whole time he kept his cool as he was going over the 'How to Use' page of his research in his head.

'Inoffensive spells have a high chance of causing a series of symptoms to the Sacrifice of the casting pair. These symptoms may include but are not limited to: Nausea, fainting, unconsciousness, extreme fatigue, and in very serious cases of unbounded pairs: death. Most of these symptoms are temporary and caused by the stress of using the spells that put an extreme strain on both physical and mental health.'

Soubi was only able to keep his calm due to this explanation from his research, so he was able to calmly carry his exhausted lover up to the bed. After placing Ritsuka gently into their large fluffy bed, he crawled into bed himself. Soubi let himself fall asleep with his mind at peace knowing that in the morning his Sacrifice would be ok and would awake at the worst, a little sore from his ordeal.

The next morning, Ritsuka woke up early as he usually did, stretching to wake himself up. After giving himself a few minutes to wake up, he looked over to the clock to see that classes began in fifteen minutes. He immediately launched himself out of bed and made a mad dash to get ready. It took him only a few minutes to get dressed and be running out the front door, trying desperately to make it to class on time. Ritsuka ran the entire way to school as fast as his small legs could take him. Once he arrived at the gates of the school, he realized he still had just a few minutes before the bell rang so he stopped for a moment to catch his breath.

After rested for a moment, Ritsuka calmly made his way through the front doors of the school and headed towards his classroom with his hands in his pockets in his usual indifferent manner. As he walked the halls however, he could hear small whispers from all the students that he passed by but he didn't pay too much attention to them seeing as this was nothing new for him; ever since his first day, the other students often whispered things about him as he walked by. Finally after walking the crowded halls, Ritsuka arrived at his classroom door right as the bell rang. He paused for a moment, catching his breath one last time before opening the door to enter his classroom. As soon as Ritsuka opened the door and took his first steps inside, every single one of his classmates as well as Shinonome Sensei all fell completely silent, someone of them with their mouths wide open. Ritsuka was rather confused by this and he was racking his brain trying to figure out what had caused the entire room to gain this awkward silence. He then quietly and slowly made his way to his seat but before he could get there, Shinonome shot up from her chair as Ritsuka passed by her desk.

"R-Ritsuka-kun, can I please see you in the hall for a moment." Her voice was very shaky, which made Ritsuka worry slightly, but never the less he followed her silently into the hallway. As soon as the door closed behind him, Ritsuka noticed the horror in his teacher's eyes and even worse, noticed his own reflection her small glasses. He then immediately let out a mortified gasp and clasped his hands tightly over his head once he realized that in his hurry, he had forgotten to put on his false ears. He was then completely speechless for a second before stammering to try and explain himself.

"S-sensei…I..I..umm…" But he couldn't think of a single good excuse to tell her, so he decided it was best just to tell the truth. He took in a deep breath to calm himself before explaining himself to his still shocked and silent teacher.

"Sensei…Yes, my ears are gone. I know it's not appropriate for someone my age but everything happened so fast and I just couldn't help it." Shinonome took a moment to gather herself before speaking to her most favored student.

"Ritsuka-kun, as your teacher I must disapprove of this completely. On the other hand, I feel as though I am more than your teacher at this point and have grown to care for you very much, therefor I must know…who took your ears from you Ritsuka?" She was now standing straight up as she spoke trying desperately to seem strong but her blushing cheeks and shivering body was conflicting with this image.

"It was Soubi." Ritsuka spoke in a very sturdy calm voice but his answer still made his teacher gasp slightly even though she very much expected it.

"Oh Ritsuka-kun…Soubi-san is so much older than you are and you are so young…." She then rested her forehead gently in her hands as she let out a sigh to relieve some of the pressure in her head. "But I suppose it cannot be helped now. But I have one last question Ritsuka-kun."

"Yes Sensei?" Shinonome took another deep breath before asking her question.

"Do you truly love each other Ritsuka-kun?" This was not the question Ritsuka was expected but it made him blush wildly and look down at his feet with a small smile across his face.

"I really do love him Sensei and he loves me as well. He rescued me…he protects me, he lets me live with him, and he has never let anything bad happen to me. I am truly happy Sensei." Ritsuka then looked up at her with a large reassuring grin that caused a small smile to cross her face as well. Shinonome was very relieved to hear this from Ritsuka's mouth, still a little concerned about his age, but relieved none the less.

"Well then I understand Ritsuka-kun. Now, I don't think any of the other teachers or administrators would feel the same way so I suggest you wear false ears from now on."

"Ok Sensei. I already have some, I was just in such a hurry today I forgot them."

"Ok. But what would you like to do about all of your classmates that have already seen you?" Ritsuka paused to think for a moment on that question.

"Well, I really don't think they will tell any of the adults but they might spread the news around the other students; but that doesn't bother me and if it goes too far I will handle it then…or Soubi will." Ritsuka's small joke went completely over his teachers head and she immediately began to shake her head uncontrollably and wave her hands frantically.

"Oh no! Ritsuka, you can't have Soubi-san hurting our students and neither can you!" Ritsuka let out a small laugh at her reaction.

"I'm only kidding Sensei. Don't worry, as long as none of the other adults find out, everything will be fine." Shinonome then let out another sigh and placed a hand on Ritsuka's shoulder.

"Ok good. Now, we need to get class started."

"Ok Sensei." Ritsuka then followed his teacher back into the classroom that was now full of whispers and stares. As Ritsuka walked toward his seat he stopped at the very front of the classroom and turned to face the entire class, shooting them all a very icy glare.

"Is there something you would all like to say to me?" His voice was very cold and very scary. Just his tone was enough to make the entire room go silent and all his classmate's faces grow pale. "I didn't think so." He then continued on to his seat and sat quietly while taking out his notebook for the day.

The rest of the school day went on as usual and his classmates completely ignored Ritsuka as they usually did; everything at school actually felt like normal again, except for the fact that his two best friends were missing. Ritsuka was still a little depressed about having to go to school without his friends but he was still just happy that they were ok and hadn't just disappeared. The school days now seemed to drag on forever with his friends gone, but finally after what seemed like endless hours the final bell rang to release the students for the day. All of the students quickly gathered their things and made their way out of the classroom while Ritsuka lingered behind gathering his own things slowly waiting for everyone else to leave. Once the last student left the room, Ritsuka approached his teacher's desk to speak with her before leaving.

"Sensei, I just wanted to apologize again for this morning." Shinonome rested her hands on her desk and gave a small smile.

"It's ok Ritsuka-kun, just try to remember your false ears from now on please."

"I promise to remember Sensei."

"Ok then." Ritsuka then returned her smile and made his way out of the room, leaving his teacher to her papers.

The walk home was rather peaceful for Ritsuka; the snow had now begun to fall again and he could see each of his breaths clearly in the cold air. Ritsuka really loved the way the cold air felt as it entered his lungs; the tingling sensation was almost intoxicating. After only a few minutes, Ritsuka arrived home. He pulled out his small butterfly imprinted key that Soubi had made him and let himself in. The very second he walked through the door, Ritsuka was scooped right up off his feet and brought face to face with his tall blonde lover.

"Hello Ritsuka." Soubi was wearing that beautiful smile that always made Ritsuka turn pink in the cheeks and smile wide.

"Hey Soubi." Ritsuka couldn't help but to give in to that smile and wrapped his arms around Soubi's neck, placing a small kiss on his forehead. Satisfied with his greeting, Soubi then gently set the boy back down to allow him to set his bag down and remove his shoes.

"How was school today?" This question made Ritsuka let out a long sigh, causing Soubi to put on a worried expression.

"Well, I forgot to tell you a while ago but I bought a pair of false ears and a tail to wear to school." Soubi's worry quickly left and he let out a small chuckle.

"Why didn't you tell me you bought false ears?" Ritsuka blushed slightly in embarrassment.

"Well I know Yamato hated it when Kouya wore hers, so I didn't think you would like it if you knew I wore them. But I only wear them to school so that nobody says anything because I just don't really want to deal with it and it's none of their business anyway." Soubi then gave another small smile at Ritsuka's blushed face.

"Ritsuka, I don't mind if you wear them. But only if it's just to school." Soubi said in a playful tone, bringing up a small laugh from Ritsuka.

"Ok good. But anyway, I woke up late today so I was in a hurry and I forgot to put them on when I got to school…So everyone saw." Soubi then crossed his arms and his expression switched to be very concerned.

"That's not good. What happened? I can't imagine the teachers were very happy about it."

"Well luckily, Shinonome-Sensei was the only adult that saw me and she was ok once I explained everything but she said I need to wear my false ears from now on because the other teachers wouldn't approve."

"Well you got lucky there. What about your classmates?" This made Ritsuka scoff in discontent.

"Well they all saw and are all talking about it but they won't tell any of the teachers; and personally I don't care what they think what so ever."

"Well that all could have gone much worse I suppose." Soubi then made his way toward the kitchen as Ritsuka stood in the entry way, stripping off his large winter coat and snow boots.

"So how was your day Soubi?" Soubi then stopped in front of the kitchen table, leaning up against it pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose before crossing his arms.

"Well I actually had an interesting day." Ritsuka then made his way over to sit at the kitchen table propping his elbows up on the table with his head in hands, genuinely intrigued.

"Yeah? How so?"

"Well I got a call not too long ago from Reiki." Now Ritsuka was very interested and perked his head up out of his hands.

"Really? What did he want?"

"He asked if you and I would come over to his and Sasuke's place today after you got off school. They are both very eager to learn about the inoffensive spells."

"Their place? But don't they live at the academy?"

"That's what I thought as well but he said that as of last night they are no longer enrolled there, thus they don't live their anymore either. He gave me the address to their new residence and said he would explain more once we got there." Ritsuka was quiet for a moment as he really thought this situation over. He thought it sounded a little odd but he didn't really think Reiki or Sasuke would try to deceive them; and even if they were, he knew that he and Soubi could handle it. After thinking everything over, Ritsuka stood from the table calmly with a determined expression.

"Well I guess we better get going then, they are expecting us." Soubi put on a small smirk and followed his Sacrifice to the door to grab his coat while Ritsuka replaced his own coat and boots. The two of them then headed out the door and into the car. Once Soubi started the car and the drive began Ritsuka decided to get some more information on the situation.

"So, how far is this place?"

"The address is in a small town about an hour away from here." This gained an aggravated sigh from Ritsuka.

"Why can't we ever go anywhere that's close by?" His voice was now slightly annoyed, but Soubi couldn't help but to laugh slightly causing the small boy to shoot him a harsh glare.

"What's so funny!?"

"You are just so very cute Ritsu-chan." Soubi then turned slightly to give Ritsuka that warm smile and Ritsuka couldn't be upset anymore so he just turned back to look out his window to watch the scenery as it zipped by. The passing snow covered trees and buildings quickly became hypnotizing and without realizing it, Ritsuka fell asleep with his head resting gently on the cold glass of the window. After about an hour, Ritsuka was gently woken up by Soubi's gentle hands caressing his face.

"Ritsuka, we are here." It took a moment for Ritsuka to come to but when he did, he lifted his head slightly to look out the window. He then saw that they were now parked in front of a very large three story mansion.

"Wow, this is where they live now?"

"I suppose so." Soubi then shut off the car and climbed out while Ritsuka did the same. Once out of the car, Ritsuka looked all around him and saw that this house sat atop a large hill and was on a huge plot of land accompanied by a large barn and a small frozen pond off in the distance at the bottom of the hill.

"This place is huge." Ritsuka continued to take in the sight as they walked up to the large double doors at the front of the mansion. Soubi then rang the small bell at the side of the door. It took a moment before anyone came to answer. Once the doors swung open, they saw their small red haired friend grinning widely.

"Hi Ritsuka-kun! Soubi!" Ritsuka returned the smile and stepped forward to wrap his arms around the red head locking him in a gentle hug.

"Hi Reiki. It's nice to see you again. I can't believe you live here, this place is so big." Reiki let out a laugh at this.

"Well it's not our place, but please come in and I'll explain more." Soubi and Ritsuka obliged and followed him through the doors and into an expansive living room. Reiki then walked over to a large couch and sat down next to his Sentouki that was already seated sipping on a cup of coffee.

"Hi Sasuke." Ritsuka gave him a small smile and a wave.

"Hello Ritsuka-kun. Please have a seat." Ritsuka then sat down on the slightly smaller love seat opposite the couch, followed by Soubi. As soon as they were seated, Ritsuka was so full of questions and immediately began his interrogation.

"So, what happened? Why don't you attend the academy anymore?" Reiki let out a sigh as he leaned forward to answer.

"Well last night after we left your place, we headed back to the academy but by the time we got there, they had already locked down for the night so we had to page Ritsu to let us in; when we did he let us in but he told us to come to his office immediately. Once we got to his office, Nagisa was there with him and Ritsu asked us why we were out past curfew without permission and long story short, we refused to tell him so they expelled us." Ritsuka was then flooded with guilt and could feel small tears swelling up in his eyes.

"Oh no… I-I'm so sorry…this is all my fault…"

"No, it's ok Ritsuka really. We hated living there anyway; we were only there because we had nowhere else to go." Reiki's gentle tone was slightly comforting and made it possible for Ritsuka to fight back his tears and feel a little bit better.

"So then how did you guys come to live here?"

"That part was pure luck actually…" Before Reiki could finish his answer, Ritsuka saw a small girl enter the room from a door behind the duo on the couch opposite him. She was very short; she looked to be even slightly shorter than Ritsuka and didn't look like she could be any older than him either. She had very bright blonde hair with long bangs that she wore to cover the entire left side of her face, including her small thin frame glasses and one of her dark brown eyes. She entered the room with a large grin and snuck up behind Reiki with her blonde ears pressed firmly down against her head and her long fluffy blonde tail twitching slightly in full stealth mode, before wrapping an arm around his neck and rubbing a small fist firmly into his head as she laughed. Ritsuka just watched on in silence as Reiki tried to fight her off while he yelped in pain, the girl laughing the whole time and Sasuke watching on with a smirk.

"Ok ok, stop it!" The girl finally released him and calmed her laughter before turning to Ritsuka to answer his question.

"I actually found these two a few years ago when they were wondering about one of the shops in town. I saw them picking out some awful clothes and decided that I had to step in before they bought something ridiculous." Reiki let out a small embarrassed chuckle and rubbed the back of his head as his cheeks blushed slightly.

"Yeah…we didn't really have much for fashion sense back then." Reiki then saw the absolutely puzzled look on both Soubi and Ritsuka's face and thought he should clear things up.

"You see, I actually wasn't completely honest when I said that Nagisa ditched us all those years ago. She was really using us an experiment and we finally got tired of it so we broke out and ended up in the town close by. We managed to steal some money from Nagisa so we stayed at an inn the first night, then the next day we went clothes shopping and that's when she found us. We have all been close friends since then and we used to stay here when we first escaped." Things were started to make sense to Ritsuka but he still had so many questions.

"So why did you guys leave here in the first place?" The young girl chimed in to answer this question.

"Well after they were here for a few months, I had to go away on business for a while and I wasn't sure how long I would be gone, so they decided they would try to find somewhere else to stay; something about independence or something like that." She let out another laugh after her last comment.

"Oh so that's when you went back to the academy?" The red head replied after giving the girl a small shove for her snide comment.

"Yes. Luckily for us, Nagisa had already moved on to the Zero's by then so she decided that we could stay as long as we enrolled. Then last night after we got expelled, we came here."

"I see. Well you two really are lucky then." This made the girl let out another large laugh.

"Yeah they are! Seems like I'm always coming to their rescue." This made Ritsuka laugh slightly and he got the feeling that he was really going to like this girl.

"Well you have a very nice home miss…?"

"Oh! Where are my manners?" The small girl then made her way to over to Ritsuka and held out a small hand to him.

"My name is Saiyuri; Kazuka Saiyuri and it's very nice to meet you." Ritsuka grasped her hand in his and shook it firmly.

"Nice to meet you as well. I'm Aoyagi Ritsuka and this is my partner, Agatsuma Soubi."

Soubi gave the girl a smile and she shook his hand. Although he was smiling, his mind was digging for something desperately...Kazuka…he knew he had heard that name somewhere before.

**TBC**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so now my OFC has been brought in but her back story will not come to later.


	23. Let the Training Begin

Now that all the introductions were out of the way, everyone was more than ready to get down to business. Saiyuri was the first to rise from the large arm chair she had seated herself in.

"Well boys, I need to go down to the stables and tend to the horses. You all behave your selves now." She then gave them all a warm smile and walked out the front door to head to the barn, leaving the boys all alone in the living room. The atmosphere in the room then quickly shifted to a very serious one when the red haired boy leaned forward and gave Ritsuka a very stern face.

"So, I was promised a training session right?" Ritsuka immediately picked up on the serious tone of Reiki's voice and knew that he was eager to get started. Ritsuka then leaned forward in his seat as well to answer his question with a small smile.

"Yes you were." Reiki then gave Ritsuka a big grin.

"Then let's get started." Ritsuka then put on a very serious face and leaned back into the love seat much to Reiki's distain who was very ready to jump up and get started.

"Well Reiki, before we get started on actually training on the spells, Soubi and I would like to cover a few things first if that's alright." Reiki then turned to his silent Sentouki and waited for his approving nod before returning his attention back to Ritsuka.

"Ok, sounds good." Reiki was still sitting on the edge of his seat waiting to take in every single word from the duo across from him while Sasuke remained in his relaxed position with his coffee mug still grasped in his hand but his eyes now fixed on Ritsuka.

"Well for starters, let me explain how these spells work in a nutshell: These spells are so extremely powerful that they can't be cast under normal circumstances, the only way to make them possible is for the Sentouki to use their Sacrifice as a sort of amplifier for their power." Reiki's face was now full of excitement and eagerness like a kid learning a magic trick.

"Oh ok, that makes sense." Soubi then leaned forward slightly to give the eager boy his piece.

"Now there is something you both need to be aware of; casting these spells causes great strain on the Sacrifice and can cause a wide range of symptoms." Sasuke then finally spoke upon hearing these.

"What kind of symptoms?"

"Well for example: The night that we battled you, as soon as you left Ritsuka fainted from the stress on his body and was unconscious for the entire night." Ritsuka then chimed in on that statement.

"Is that what happened? I guess that's why I couldn't remember how I got to bed that night and why I was so sore the next day." Soubi gave him a small nod before continuing.

"Yes, and that was just a mild symptom. From what I gathered from my research other symptoms include nausea, amnesia, seizures and a few other minor things." Soubi then paused for a moment to look Sasuke directly in the eyes. "But be very aware that in a case of a pair whose bond is not complete or is strained in any way, the Sacrifice may likely die as a result." This caused Sasuke's eyes to flash red for a brief moment.

"That won't happen. My and Reiki's bond is very strong, so that won't be a worry for us."

"Good." Soubi then leaned back into his seat once more and allowed Ritsuka to continue.

"So now that we have the basics out of the way, I think I decided the best way to go about the next step in training. I think it would be best if Reiki and I talked alone on what are parts are in these spells are; and Soubi and Sasuke talk alone on their parts." Again Reiki turned to his partner and they nodded together before Reiki gave his reply.

"I think that's a good idea Ritsuka. So you and I can take the study and Soubi and Sasuke can go outside on the porch."

"Ok, sounds good."

With that, Ritsuka and Reiki got up and walked across the long hallway into a very large study fully equipped with a writing desk, a bookcase, and a large long oak table with a chair on either side of it. Ritsuka walked over to this table and took a seat while Reiki followed suit and took a seat in the chair on the opposite end.

Back in the living room, both Soubi and Sasuke had already risen from their seats and Soubi was now following Sasuke toward the back of the large manor. They then arrived at a small screen door that led out to a large wrap around porch that held a series of white outdoor chairs and benches and surrounded by a very detailed white railing. Sasuke took a seat on one of the chairs while Soubi decided to simply lean himself against the wooden railing. Upon settling into their positions, each of them lit a cigarette calmly, seemingly unbothered by the cold winter air. Soubi then took a long inhale then exhale on his cigarette before speaking to the dark haired man opposite him.

"So let's just get to it then." Sasuke gave him a small nod to acknowledge that he was listening. "Well like Ritsuka said, in order to use these spells you have to learn how to use your Sacrifice as an amplifier for your power and its very important that you listen closely to what I tell you; if either one of you slips up even slightly the results could be catastrophic."

"I got it."

"Good. So the first thing you need to do before you attempt to cast a spell is completely clear your mind. You need to block out everything around you until the only thing you can see is the thread that connects you and your Sacrifice, the only thing you can hear is his heart beat and the only thing you can feel is your bond with him."

Back in the study…

Reiki was awaiting Ritsuka's words eagerly, so much to the point that he was fidgeting until Ritsuka finally spoke.

"So before the attempt is made to cast the spell, the first thing you need to do is completely focus every ounce of your energy and focus all unto one spot…onto your name." Reiki then lifted up his left hand to look at the name printed on it as he nodded to Ritsuka. "That's the only thing you need to focus on, keeping all of your energy bound to that spot and don't let that energy leave even for a second."

Outside…

"After you have done this then that is when you need to make physical contact with your Sacrifice's name. It is extremely important that after you make contact with it that you do not break that contact even for a second until the spell is cast. If you lose contact with his name, all of your energy will then backfire through your body causing you extreme pain and likely internal damage." This finally got Sasuke's attention enough to where he was leaning forward in his seat now extremely focused on Soubi's words.

In the study…

"After you Sentouki is ready he will then make physical contact with your name. Once he does and as soon as you are ready, you then need to release all of your energy through that spot and let it flow through your Sentouki, this is when your name will begin to glow form the pure amount of energy flowing through it. It is important that you never lose your focus when you are transferring your energy; if you do then all of your energy will backfire through you causing you to be fully restrained by your own Sentouki and possibly causing other physical harm and possible damage to your bond with him." This made Reiki begin to tremble slightly as he swallowed hard but continued to focus intensely.

Outside…

"Once your Sacrifice is ready, he will then transfer all of his energy to let it flow through you. This will be an extremely intense sensation for you but you must let it flow through it and accept it. Once you are able to harness his energy you will feel you power begin to amplify at an alarming rate and this is when your name will begin to glow."

In the study…

"Now this is the most important part so listen closely Reiki. Once you can feel Sasuke pulling your energy in, then you two will be sharing the energy of both of you combined. The feeling will be overwhelming and hard to handle but you must stay focused on your goal. Once you feel that your energies have stabilized that is when you can cast the spell; and because the spell is using both of your energies it will require both of you to cast it. When you go to cast it, it is crucial that when you two speak that you speak in absolute perfect unison because if you don't…the spell will backfire through both of you and will cause you both immense harm and possibly death." Reiki was now trembling fiercely in a mixture of fear and determination.

Outside…

"Now once you can feel the energy flowing to and from you and Reiki it is important that you make sure your energies are stabilized before you cast. Once it is you can then cast your spell. The biggest obstacle you will have is Reiki being able to cast with you. When you cast the spell the most important thing over all is that you both speak in perfect unison. If just one of you is off even in the slightest…the spell will backfire through both of you causing immense harm and possibly death to you both." Soubi then saw the most emotion he had seen from Sasuke as his eyes grew incredibly wide and his usual cool expression changed to a very shocked one.

After all the lecturing was done and Reiki and Sasuke had been given a few moments to let all this information settle in, all four of them rejoined in the living room; everyone returning to their original seats. They all sat in silence for a moment before the red head finally broke the silence.

"I had no idea that so much went into just one spell…" His voice was slightly shaky and he was still trying to fully digest all the information. "You two made it seem so easy when you did it, like you had done it a thousand times before." Ritsuka then let out a small sigh before making his reply.

"Well that was still the only time we had ever tried any of these spells, we took a huge risk when we used it on you two. That's why I didn't want you going around trying to do them without knowing exactly what you were getting into. I would feel completely responsible if something happened to you two while trying to use these spells." Ritsuka had now shifted his gaze to his feet slightly embarrassed at how unusually open he was being. After a moment of hearing no reply, Ritsuka finally looked up to see Reiki with his fists balled up against his knees and his face turned toward the floor, his red hair completely hiding his face.

"Ritsuka…thank you for telling us all this; now I know the risks but I also know how to do this…and I am determined to master these spells. I won't give up until we do, even if it kills me." Sasuke then noticed that his Sacrifice was shaking quite a bit at this point, so he leaned forward to place a hand on his shoulder while he spoke in a soft tone.

"Reiki…why is this so important to you? You have never had a problem winning at all costs, even though it causing pain to the opponent. So why now do you want to learn these spells so badly?" Sasuke's hand was quickly slapped away by the red head as he flung his head up and toward his Sentouki with huge tears welling up in his eyes.

"Because Sasuke! I'm tired of being inferior!" This sudden burst of tears and anger was really out of character for the red head and his Sentouki was really beginning to worry.

"Inferior how Reiki?!" Tears now began streaming down the boy's face as he yelled back at his partner.

"It's those fucking Zero's! Nagisa thinks they are so fucking perfect! Why?! Just because they can't feel pain?! Fuck!" Reiki had now completely broke down and was bawling hysterically. Soubi and Ritsuka didn't want to make anything worse so they just sat silently thinking that if they got up and left it might insult the upset boy. The whole time Sasuke was trying everything he could to understand his partner's frustrations and calm him.

"Why do you care what she thinks Reiki?"

"I don't fucking know Sasuke! All I know is that I want to prove that we are better than they are! That we can be the fucking best! That we know something that they don't!" Reiki finally flung himself into Sasuke's lap as he continued to sob. Sasuke then began stroking his head softly and spoke to him in a soft tone.

"Reiki…we don't have to prove anything to that vile woman. We already know that we could beat her Zero's with our eyes shut. But learning these spells isn't a bad idea, regardless of the reason. So I swear to you that we will master these spells at all costs. I will do whatever it takes to make you happy Reiki…I am your Sentouki and I will follow you to the ends of the earth." Sasuke then took his lovers head in his large hands and wiped the tears from his eyes. "I love you Reiki and we will be the best no matter what." Sasuke then lifted Reiki's head to catch his lips in a tender kiss.

"I love you too Sasuke…I'm sorry."

"You don't need to apologize." Sasuke then gave him a gentle smile that assured his Sacrifice that everything would be alright.

Right as this scene was coming to an end, Saiyuri entered the room to find Ritsuka and Soubi sitting silently on the love seat with a worried expression on both their faces; and Reiki lying on top of Sasuke with his face bright red.

"Geez! I leave for a half hour and everything falls apart in here. What am I going to do with you boys?" Saiyuri's big comforting smile made Reiki snap out of his funk and sit up straight on the couch and wipe the rest of the tears from his eyes.

"Shut up Saiyuri. Everything is fine." Reiki's pathetic attempt to hide his tears made Saiyuri laugh slightly.

"If you say so Rei-chan." She then walked over to the red head and gave him a firm rub to his head, still laughing all the while. The sight gained a small laugh from Ritsuka before he finally turned to Soubi breaking their silence.

"I really am going to like this girl." Saiyuri then began to laugh even harder at this little comment.

"I think I'm really going to like you too Ritsuka."

**TBC**


	24. Mission

Soubi and Ritsuka had now made their way into the very large kitchen of the Kazuka manor to join Saiyuri, who was now making a pot of tea for her guests. Ritsuka and Soubi both seated themselves at the large oak dining table in the kitchen while Saiyuri stayed in her place in front of the stove waiting for the water to boil.

"So Ritsuka, where have my two numskulls run off to now?" The short blonde looked over her shoulder with a smile as she spoke, all the while her long tail waving calmly back and forth.

"I sent them into the study to do some…practicing." Saiyuri then turned around completely and gave the boy a smirk.

"Practicing those new spells they haven't shut up about I assume." Ritsuka was a little shocked by the girl's statement; he didn't know that she was aware of anything about the world of pairs and spell battles.

"Um, yeah. They aren't actually using them yet though, they are just doing some training to try and help Reiki learn how to cast." Ritsuka then paused for a short moment. "But how do you know about spells anyway, if you don't mind me asking…it's just that it seems like you lived here alone and I haven't seen you with a partner at all so I assumed you were well….normal." Ritsuka blushed slightly as he asked, not knowing exactly how to put his words properly or what to call people outside of their world. Before answering, Saiyuri let out a small giggle causing Ritsuka to blush even more.

"I am normal, well I suppose you could call me that; but my parents were a fighting unit so I grew up with it. They were one of the best units around too and I used to love hearing all about their battles and my father used to tell me such great stories. But I wasn't born with a true name or partner so unfortunately all I could do was learn about battles from the side lines." She then gave the boy a very warm smile that reminded him of Yuiko and he gave her a big smile back.

"Well you must have had an interesting childhood then. Which reminds me…if you don't me asking again, how old are you anyway Saiyuri-san?"

"I don't mind your questions Ritsuka, feel free to ask whatever you please; but to answer your question, I am twenty one."

"Oh wow, I thought you were my age honestly." Saiyuri then let out a small giggle.

"Yeah people always tell me I look really young, so I'm used to it." There was then silence in the room until Soubi finally spoke.

"Saiyuri…I'm curious to know…who are your parents?" The girls face then changed to a slightly more serious expression.

"My parents were Fearless." That name stuck out somehow in Soubi's mind just like her family name, but he still couldn't remember where he had heard those names before.

"Were?" Saiyuri's ears then laid against her head gently and her deep brown eyes became full of sadness.

"Yes…they disappeared a few years ago. I still have no idea what happened to them." The sadness in her eyes made Ritsuka swell with sadness as well and he couldn't help but to interject.

"I'm so sorry to hear that Saiyuri…" The girl then quickly shifted to put a small smile back on her face.

"It's ok Ritsuka-kun, it was a long time ago and I'm doing just fine on my own. Luckily they left everything they had to me, including this manor."

"Wow, so this place is really all yours?" The girl then put on a large grin and gave Ritsuka a big thumbs up.

"Yup! Except for those two goofballs, that is." This caused all three of them to burst out into laughter right as the mentioned duo entered the kitchen.

"What's so funny?" Reiki inquired genuinely confused and but was quickly answered by the small girl.

"You!" She then burst into an even harder laugh which was none to pleasing to the mentally exhausted red head.

"Oh ha ha Saiyuri, very funny." His tone was very sarcastic and he was visibly tired when he sat down at the kitchen table in the seat next to Ritsuka. Once he sat down, Ritsuka placed a gentle hand on Reiki's shoulder in a comforting manner.

"How did your practice go?" The red head just let out a sigh and allowed his partner to answer, who was now leaning up against the door frame.

"Not so good. Our timing is really off and Reiki isn't catching on to the dynamics of casting so well." Reiki then slumped over in his chair feeling completely defeated and let out a long sigh.

"I had no idea that it would be so hard just to say the words right, let alone say them in perfect time with Sasuke. I really have no idea how you do it Ritsuka." Ritsuka then gave him a cheery smile to reassure him.

"Don't get down Reiki; it's really unnatural for a Sacrifice to have to cast a spell at all. I really think Soubi and I pulled it off that time with pure luck, so I'm positive you will get the hang of it. Just keep trying." The red head found a great deal of comfort in the way Ritsuka spoke to him; it was very odd to him that such a young person, a child really, could seem so wise. Never the less, he returned a small smile to his friend, feeling a little better about himself.

"Thanks Ritsuka. You're right, I'm sure we will figure it out." Saiyuri then made her way to stand over the red head and placed a few gentle pats on his head.

"That's the spirit! Just hang in there."

She then pulled away from the boy's side to attend to the now whistling tea kettle. She quickly took it off the burner and reached into one of the cabinets to pull out five matching cups. As she finished preparing the tea, the kitchen was filled with a soft ringing sound and Ritsuka quickly recognized the tone as the ring of the cellphone that Ritsu gave to him. Ritsuka then pulled the small phone from his pocket and looked up at the clock before answering. It was six o'clock in the evening now and Ritsuka was very concerned as to why Ritsu was calling him so late on a weeknight but never the less, he knew it was best to just answer.

"Hello?"

" _Good evening Loveless; I need you both to come see me at the academy immediately."_

"Isn't it kind of late Sensei?"

" _I am fully aware of the time Loveless but there is an urgent matter that needs tending to."_

"Fine. We will be there soon."

" _Good."_

*click*

Ritsuka then closed the phone with a small sneer and turned to face Soubi.

"We have to go to the academy; Ritsu says it's important." Soubi simply gave him a nod and stood from seat while Reiki looked at Ritsuka with a disdainful face.

"I can't believe that man is calling you in so late. What an ass."

"Well we don't have much of a choice." Ritsuka then stood from his place and bowed slightly to the blonde still standing in front of the counter. "Thank you very much for having us over Saiyuri."

"It was a pleasure Ritsuka. I hope to see you both again soon." She then gave him a large grin as he turned to exit the kitchen and head for the front door. As Ritsuka passed by Sasuke who was still leaning in the door way, the dark haired man grabbed on gently to his arm and gave him a serious face.

"Ritsuka…I don't know what Ritsu is up to, but be careful and keep your guard up." His tone was icy and it sent a small chill down Ritsuka's spine.

"Ok Sasuke, we will be careful." Sasuke then released his arm and allowed him to follow Soubi out through the large double doors at the front of the manor. The two then quickly climbed into the car out of the cold night air and began their drive to the academy; luckily Saiyuri actually lived much closer to the academy then they did.

It was only about fifteen minutes before they were pulling up to the intercom at the gates of the academy and getting buzzed in. Ritsuka was still none too pleased about being there in general even as they walked through the front doors and down the increasingly familiar hall that led to Ritsu's office. Before Ritsuka opened the office door, he let out a long sigh and turned to his Sentouki with a very aggravated expression.

"This had really better be good. And if it's not, you have my permission to punch him." Soubi let out a small laugh before Ritsuka turned the handle and pushed open the door.

"Hello Loveless." Ritsu was already wearing the same smile that he most often did.

"We have our own names you know." Ritsuka aggravation was now clearly rising to the point that he no longer cared for pleasantries with the blind man.

"I know you do Ritsuka-kun, one name is just easier; now please have a seat, both of you." They both did as they were told and sat in the two chairs opposite of Ritsu with his large desk separating them. Once Ritsuka sat down he immediately crossed him arms and put on a very pissed off face really wishing that Ritsu could see it.

"Now, what is this about Sensei?" Ritsu leaned back in his chair and folded his hands neatly in his lap as if he was about to tell a long story, making Ritsuka scoff slightly under his breath.

"Well I have a very high priority mission that I need you two to take care of."

"Ok, what is it?" Ritsuka was now getting audibly impatient.

"There is a rogue unit that has been wreaking havoc in the area and I need them apprehending as soon as possible." Ritsuka was now much less aggravated and much more interested in the details of this mission.

"What do you mean a rogue unit?"

"Well they have not ever attended the academy and we can't find them in any of our systems."

"Ok, so then what's the catch?" Ritsuka was now very proud of the fact that he was catching on to the games that Ritsu liked to play.

"Catch?" Ritsu then let out a small smug chuckle and spoke in a very coy tone.

"Well just the fact that you had to call us means that you have already sent several of your students on this mission and they have all failed. So what is it about this unit that keeps sending your students back with their tails between their legs?"

"You are correct Ritsuka, all the students I have sent after them have indeed come back defeated; but it's what they aren't coming back with that is the reason I have called you here." This was not at all the response Ritsuka was expecting and he was now beginning to feel a little shaken.

"What are they not coming back with….?"

"Their memories." These words sent a painful shockwave through Ritsuka's whole body as painful thoughts of his own memory loss of 'his old self' came flooding back.

"W-what do you mean they are coming back without their memories?"

"Well, every unit that I have sent on this mission comes back very physically beaten but when we go to interrogate them about the rogue unit, none of them can remember anything about their battles. Even worse, they can't even remember what the unit looks like, sounds like, fights like, nothing. They all say that their memories of their entire ordeals are completely blacked out." Ritsuka was now becoming increasingly worried about this mission and was becoming very concerned that Soubi was remaining very calm through the entire explanation.

"How is this possible Sensei?"

"Well it would appear that this rogue unit has somehow mastered memory control spells."

"Memory control spells? What are you talking about?" Before Ritsu could answer, Soubi placed a hand gently on Ritsuka's thigh and answered his question.

"Yes, memory control spells. There are a few spells that allow the user to either manipulate someone's memories or erase them completely. They are also one of the few spells that can be used outside of battle. However, they are almost impossible to master and are limited to memories that pertain to the user and their partner." Ritsuka's mind was now covered by a wave of confusion and questions.

"How do you know all of this Soubi? Can you use these spells?"

"No I can't…but Nisei could." Soubi paused for a moment and Ritsuka's heart was now racing faster and faster. He then got a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach as Soubi turned in his chair to face him completely and placed both his hands on Ritsuka's small shoulders. "That is why you had no idea about Seimei's true nature until you saw it for yourself. Seimei had Nisei alter a large portion of your memories of him in hopes that you would never turn against Seimei." Ritsuka then let his head fall forward so that his hair was hiding his face and he balled up his fists in his lap as tight as he could. He was completely silent and Soubi could now feel the boy shaking in his hands.

"T-that bastard…."

"Ritsuka….I'm sorry I never told you…I didn't want to upset you." Ritsuka then gathered every ounce of his energy and focused all of it on calming his mind and body. He then took a very deep breath before replying to his Sentouki.

"It's ok Soubi. We will talk about it later but right now we have to deal with this mission." Soubi finally felt the boy stop shaking so he lifted his hands from his shoulders but returned one to be resting on his thigh once again.

"Ok." Ritsuka then lifted his head and turned his attention back to Ritsu.

"Are these spells reversible in any way?"

"No, if they were we would have done it by now." Ritsuka let out a small growl as his aggravation with Ritsu quickly returned.

"Ok so, go find this rogue unit, beat them, bring them to you and all the while try to keep our memories intact. Is that all?" Ritsuka's voice now had a hint of sarcasm to it.

"Yes.

"What are you going to do with them once we catch them?"

"That is classified until we have more information on them."

"Fine." Ritsuka was now very irritated and was very ready to leave so he picked up his bag and rose from his seat, followed closely by Soubi. Ritsuka then led the way to the door, but stopped just short of it.

"One last question Sensei." Ritsuka spoke without even turning around to face the man that was his constant source of stress and irritation.

"Yes?"

"Do you at least know this rogue unit's name?" Ritsu paused for a brief moment before answering in his usual smug tone.

"Yes….Bondless." Ritsuka then opened the door and he and his Sentouki left the office without another word. They walked back down the hallway in complete silence but all the while Ritsuka was deep in thought on this new mission of theirs.

'Bondless huh? Doesn't sound good at all.'

**TBC**


	25. Caught Off Gaurd

Once they got into the car to begin their drive home, Ritsuka wasted no time questioning his Sentouki about his before mentioned past with memory spells.

"Soubi…did you know ahead of time that Seimei and Nisei were going to alter my memories? And don't lie." Ritsuka's voice was a jumble of fear, anger and pain. Soubi glanced over to see the pain in his partner's eyes and knew that he had to tell him the truth no matter what.

"No. It happened after Seimei faked his death, so I had no idea that he had done that. But I must admit, I was pretty confident that he did have Nisei alter your memories because Seimei had tried several times to train me to master memory control spells."

"What do you mean tried?"

"I was never able to master them. No matter how hard he pushed me or how much punishment he gave me, I just could never do it." This confession soothed some of Ritsuka's anger and his attitude began to soften; he never liked thinking about the ways that his brother hurt Soubi.

"I'm sorry that Seimei did that…" Soubi then looked over to give the boy a reassuring smile.

"It's ok Ritsuka. It's in the past now."

"Yeah you're right…but these spells must be really difficult if even you can't do them."

"Yes, they are one of the most difficult groups of spells to master; most think them to be impossible." Ritsuka let out a mall scoff at this.

"Well obviously they aren't impossible, Nisei could do them and now this rogue unit can do them as well." There was then a short pause as Ritsuka tried to choose his next question. "So is there really no way to ever get erased memories back?" Ritsuka's tone then shifted back to one that was filled with despair.

"No…I'm afraid your memories that were altered or lost will never return…I'm sorry Ritsuka." The boy then let out a very long sigh and gathered his courage and made a dramatic shift in his attitude.

"You know what…I think I'm ok with that. I have been living for two, almost three years now with my memories the way they are now; and for once I'm happy with myself. I have great friends, a good school and a great partner; and I wouldn't have any of that now if it wasn't for my memories being altered." This new shift in attitude was enough to make Soubi's heart almost melt. It seemed like every day, the boy that he loved was growing more and more and becoming a truly great and strong lover and Sacrifice. All Soubi could do at that was turn to his lover with a larger than usual grin.

"I love you Ritsuka." This sudden statement made Ritsuka blush slightly as he looked over toward his Sentouki and returned his smile.

"I love you too Soubi."

By the time their conversation was finished, they were just now arriving in front of their home. Once Soubi parked the car he reached for his door handle but was stopped by Ritsuka's small hand grabbing onto the sleeve of his heavy winter coat.

"Soubi…I have one last question." Soubi turned to look at the boy.

"Yes?"

"Do you know of any defenses against memory spells?" Soubi then gave his partner a very solemn expression.

"No…I'm afraid that there is nothing that can be done to stop a memory spell once it has been cast." Ritsuka's stomach dropped for a moment at the idea of losing during this mission and having his memories altered or removed again; but he knew that he had to stay strong so he put on a determined grin.

"Well then we will just have to make sure we win then." Soubi returned the smile and they both then exited the car and made their inside their home hand in hand.

Once the two were safely inside out of the cold and the snow, they both made a bee line for the bedroom, exhausted from a long day. As soon as they both made it past the threshold of the bedroom door, Ritsuka quickly grabbed a small bag from out of the closet and hid it behind his back as he inched back toward the bedroom door. This earned a rather curious look from Soubi who was watching the whole thing.

"Um, I forgot…I bought something on the way to school today that I wanted to show you. It's no big deal…I just want your opinion." Soubi let out a small laugh at the boy's bright red face and the slight stammering in his speech.

"Ok Ritsu-kun." With that, the blushing boy rushed out of the room and went straight into the bathroom down the hall.

While he waited, Soubi decided to get more comfortable so he unbuttoned his shirt and threw it onto the floor before finding a comfortable spot propped up in the bed against the head board. It wasn't very long at all before Ritsuka poked his already bright red face into the bedroom door.

"Ok, are you ready?"

"Yes."

"Ok, close your eyes." Soubi couldn't help but chuckle at his partner's shyness.

"Ok." As soon as Ritsuka saw that Soubi's eyes were closed tight, he entered the room and shut the door softly behind him.

"Ok, you can open them now." Soubi then eagerly opened his eyes to see an adorable sight. He saw Ritsuka standing right in front of the bedroom door standing with his arms tucked tightly behind his back and his cheeks bright red, wearing nothing but a new pair of very tight cotton boxer briefs. As Soubi took in the sight, Ritsuka took it upon himself to do a full turn so that Soubi could see his back side. Soubi defiantly liked this view much better; in fact he absolutely loved the way the new tight fitting underwear clung to his lovers perfectly shaped ass. After a few moments of silence, Ritsuka finally made his way over to the bed and crawled on top on his Sentouki in a painfully seductive manner and Soubi could feel his jeans growing tighter and tighter with each passing second.

"So…what do you think? I thought maybe you would like these better than my normal boxers." Soubi was completely astonished that his young partner could look so innocent and yet so seductive all at the same time.

"I like them very much…" Soubi then put on a smirk and reached around the boy sitting on his lap to cup his ass gently in his hands. "…they complement you very well." All the red then left Ritsuka's cheeks and he shifted his voice to the most seductive tone he could muster and he lowered his head to be right next to Soubi's ear.

"I'm glad you think so." Ritsuka then ran his soft tongue along the length of Soubi's ear, paying extra attention to the small butterfly earing placed in his partners ear lobe. This action sent chills all the way down Soubi's spine and made the tightness in his pants almost unbearable. Soubi wasn't even given any chance to act on his overwhelming urges as Ritsuka began a full scale assault on his neck, leaving small red marks the whole way. Ritsuka continued until he found that one spot right above Soubi's collar bone that finally earned him a deep moan from the blonde.

"Nnhhh…"

Soubi then finally gathered the strength to attempt to take control of the situation and grabbed on firmly to the boy's hips and began moving his hips gently to grind against Ritsuka's. As soon as Soubi did this, Ritsuka felt the large bulge in his Sentouki's jeans rub against his own erection that was painfully restricted in his new tight boxer briefs causing him to moan softly into Soubi's ear. Soubi continued to grind their hips together until Ritsuka couldn't take it anymore. The small boy then moved his hands to the button of Soubi's jeans and unbuttoned quickly before moving on to the zipper. He then placed his small hands on the top of the blondes' jeans and began to pull them down but was abruptly stopped when Soubi grabbed onto both his hands and lifted them away from his jeans.

"Soubi wh-"

"Shhh." Ritsuka was rather displeased with this interruption but stayed quiet regardless and watched as Soubi closed his eyes and put on a very focused face. Then all of a sudden, Soubi lifted his partner off of him and quickly set him on his feet on the floor before jumping out of the bed himself.

"Ritsuka, get dressed now." Soubi's tone was very serious and calm so Ritsuka knew something was wrong. He quickly threw on his jeans and pulled his blue sweater over his head, all the while still completely confused as to what was going on.

"Soubi, what's going on? What's wrong?" Soubi was now already fully dressed and walking briskly toward the bedroom door.

"There is a unit nearby and they just engaged their battle systems." That was all Ritsuka needed to hear to begin following his Sentouki right by his side all the way down the hall and down the stairs. They both then reached the entry way and began putting on their heavy winter clothes.

"Soubi, do you think it's them? How close are they?" They were both fully dressed now and Soubi turned to his Sacrifice and spoke to him in a calm yet slightly worried tone.

"Yes, I think it is. They feel incredibly strong…and it feels like they are right outside."

"What?! How could they know we were sent to apprehend them, let alone where we live?"

"I don't know, but they are here now so we have to face them." Soubi then paused for a moment to take a good look at his Sacrifice. "Are you ready Ritsuka?" Ritsuka took a very deep breath then put on determined grin.

"Yes. Don't hold back Soubi…I want to win." Soubi then gave a small smile and leaned down to place a gentle kiss in his partner's lips.

"Understood." The two then slowly opened the door and stepped out into the snow filled air. They walked through the small gate at the front of their home and stood on the sidewalk waiting in the dark for this mysterious unit to appear. A few silent moments passed by and Ritsuka was starting to become aggravated.

"Soubi, I thought you said that they were right outside." His tone was now very annoyed. After Soubi didn't respond, Ritsuka looked over to him and saw that his expression was still very serious and focused.

"S-soubi?"

"They are here."

"Where Soubi!" Ritsuka was now just pissed off, but before Soubi could even try and answer they both heard a faint laughter that seemed to be coming from every direction. It was an eerie laughter that sent a chill down Ritsuka's spine and made him a little scared.

"Show yourselves." Soubi called out into the darkness in a loud yet steady voice but he was answered with more laughter. The laughter was much louder now and turned into a slight giggle. Ritsuka was getting incredibly fed up with this game and called out to the unit that was hiding childishly.

"Come on out you cowards! Or are you afraid?" Ritsuka's voice was now full of confidence even though his body language was the exact opposite seeing as he had now firmly clasped onto Soubi's arm and was standing as close as physically possible to him. There was then yet again more laughter before someone finally spoke out of the darkness.

"Silly little boy…" The voice almost sounded like a whisper and even sounded as though it was right in Ritsuka's ear but when he jerked his head to look there was nothing there. Ritsuka was now started to panic slightly and looked up to his Sentouki for comfort but found that his expression hadn't changed at all.

"Soubi! What are you doing?! Why are you just standing there? Do something!" Soubi replied without changing his expression in the slightest or turning to face the boy.

"I'm trying to track them by following the signal their battle system is sending out." Their unknown opponent over heard this and broke out again into laughter.

"Aww…you'll ruin all the fun that way!" Ritsuka was finally getting fed up with this game and released Soubi's arm and stood defiantly in the middle of the side walk, yelling into the darkness.

"Enough! Fight us or fuck off!" His outburst was met with more laughter before he heard response.

"Such a potty mouth! But fine…" There was then a short silence before the voice in the darkness completely surrounded them. "I declare this to be a battle of spells!" Soubi's eyes then snapped open and responded as fast as possible, not wanting this unit to try anything else childish like running away.

"We accept!" After accepting the challenge, the immense battle radius finally illuminated everything but they still couldn't see an opponent. Never the less, Soubi continued as usually knowing that now that the battle had begun they would have to show themselves eventually.

"We are Loveless! We share a love and bond that not even our name dare defy!" That is when the enemy finally appeared and Soubi and Ritsuka were both very confused by what they saw. As soon as they finished announcing their name, a figure dropped out of a tree that stood across the street from their home. The figure was wearing all black and their face was completely hidden behind the large black hood of their sweatshirt but what was really throwing them off was the fact that there was only one person. This was something that angered Soubi enough to yell out to this person.

"Where is your Sacrifice?! Are you really going to fight us alone? That's disgraceful!" Now that this person was visible to them they were finally able to make out the continuous laughter as that of a woman's; it wasn't a whole lot to go on but at least they knew something now. She then just continued to laugh frustrating Soubi even further; Ritsuka was now angry for a completely different reason however, he remembered when Soubi used to fight without him and how hurt he got from taking damage while trying to attack at the same time so he couldn't figure out why this woman would fight alone.

"Well?! At least identify yourself!" The girl then finally stopped her laughter and her voice shifted to be very serious and very threatening.

"I…am Bondless…and frankly, that's all you need to know." Now that it was confirmed that this was their target, Soubi placed a large hand on Ritsuka's chest and pushed him backwards so that he was well hidden behind him.

"Ritsuka, are you sure you're ready?"

"Yes. Now attack Soubi!" With that… the battle had begun.

" _Puncture! A thousand needles pierce the enemy!"_  This sent an array of sharp glowing needles flying toward the girl.

" _Resolve! Turn these needles into dust!"_  The spell did exactly that and with just a wave of her hand all of the needles burst into dust that fluttered to the ground, earning more laughter from the girl.

"You'll have to do much better than that boys." This arrogant statement earned a deep growl from Soubi. The girl then put on a devilish grin. "My turn."

" _Crush! Completely destroy the enemy!"_ This attack came lightning fast and before Soubi could even utter a single syllable, a very large thick collar attached to a think chain shot up from between Ritsuka's legs and clamped tightly around his neck causing small trickles of blood to run down his neck. As usual, Soubi turned to him to see if he was ok.

"I'm ok Soubi…focus!" Soubi found it hard to turn away from his Sacrifice that had his hands clawing at the restraint around his neck and was visibly fighting for breathe; but he pressed on as he was told.

" _Shred! Tear the enemy to pieces!"_ This spell took advantage of the leaves on the tree above the girl that had now turned into sharp blades that started falling down toward her.

" _Dissolve! Nothing will scar me!"_  A large bubble then surrounded the woman and as each of the blades fell upon it, they each melted away.

" _Burst! Make my enemies very atoms explode inside him!"_ Soubi was faster to respond this time.

" _Conceal! Hide us from our enemy!"_  The darkness then quickly closed in around them hiding them from view.

"Ahhhh!" Soubi was shocked to hear Ritsuka cry out and quickly released the darkness from around them to see that Ritsuka had now gained three more restraints, two around his ankles and one that wrapped all the way around his chest pinning his arms tightly against his body. It took every ounce of Soubi's strength to not run to his Sacrifice immediately; he was now determined to take this girl out, who was still mocking them.

"Is this really the best you've got? I thought Ritsu would send someone challenging this time." She followed with her heavy laughter that drove Soubi over the edge.

" _Demolish! Leave nothing left except destruction!"_ Soubi sent this spell with an immense amount of power and it released a huge shockwave that was now racing toward the girl.

" _Angelic force! My wings will keep me safe!"_ Soubi and Ritsuka both watched on in shock and a set of massive black feathered wings appeared from the girls back and wrapped themselves around her completely. Once Soubi's attack made it to her, the shockwave crashed into the wings sending black feathers flying everywhere. Soubi put on a satisfied smirk thinking that he had landed the powerful attack on her but became enraged once the feathers all settled to the ground, the wings disappeared and the girl was still standing there, completely unharmed.

"Goddamn it!" The girl was very amused by Soubi's frustrations and let out a girlish giggle.

"I think I'm bored with you boys now; oh and you can send a message to your Ritsu…tell him that I am coming for him." She then raised both of her hands toward them and let out an evil laugh before she spoke loud and clear.

" _Absolute destruction!_ _Completely decimate the enemy!"_ Once the words left her mouth, a towering set of sharp jagged rocks jutted out from the ground beneath them, piercing through Ritsuka completely restraining him. Just the shockwave of the spell sent Soubi flying into the gate knocking him off his feet.

"Victory."

The battle area then collapsed around them. Once the battle was over, the restraints faded away from Ritsuka's body and he fell to the ground in immense pain and the entire world was spinning uncontrollably. Ritsuka could feel himself slipping away into unconsciousness so he could only watch as the girl walked over to Soubi and placed a hand on his forehead and muttered something inaudibly. He then saw her walking toward him and knew exactly what was coming but his body refused to move. She stepped in front of him and kneeled down to be eye level with him with her hood still covering her face. She then placed one small finger on his forehead and lifted off her hood before speaking.

"I'm really sorry about his Ritsuka…" Ritsuka was in total shock at what he saw. " _Memories…such fragile things. I'll erase these memories!"_

Ritsuka could then feel his memories growing fuzzy but was able to mutter only one thing before everything went black.

"S-Saiyuri….?"

**TBC**


	26. Bondless

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty! This is the back story for my OFM.

My name is Kazuka Saiyuri…and my parents were one of the greatest fighting units in the world. My parents were Fearless, the ones who knew no fear; and that couldn't have been more true of who they were. My mother was one of the toughest women I've ever known. Even though she was only four foot eleven, an inch shorter than I am now, she could take down men twice her size in any physical event. She was my father's Sacrifice and of all the times they came home from battle when I was a child, she always came through the door like they had been at a party, all laughs and smiles. Father once told me that in thirty years of battle, he had never seen my mother shed even a single tear. Her resilience and passion was what I admired most about my mother.

My father though, was who I wanted to grow up to be. My father stood at an impressive six feet and I always remembered that he could scoop me up with one arm all the way up until I was eighteen. My father always told me that from the day I was born, he knew I would be a strong Sentouki and he taught me everything that I know. As a young child I always looked forward to training with father; he never took it easy on me and I always went to bed exhausted to the point of collapse, but I loved every minute of it because I knew in my heart that he was teaching me to grow up strong just like him.

I had such a wonderful childhood. I grew up in my parents' expansive ten acre estate, fully equipped with a pond, a barn, and of course the very large manor that we lived in. As a child, I never wanted for anything. My parents always gave me everything I ever asked for, which wasn't much actually. I never really cared for the same things as my peers. I never wanted toys or games; but instead I was always bothering my mother for a new unusual hair cut or asking my father for books upon books about spells and battle. And my parents would always just laugh and say "you're such an extraordinary girl Saiyu-kun." They never thought I was odd or not normal and I never felt like I wasn't loved. I truly looked up to my parents with everything I had in my soul. My life truly was perfect, until the day I turned eighteen. That day…everything changed. I will never forget that day.

I woke that morning with a smile as I usually did and went to take my morning shower. Everything was going just fine as I washed myself until I felt a slight tingling sensation on my left hip. That's when I looked down and saw a name begin to appear in a diagonal running down the left side of the V shaped muscle on the front of my hip. I watched closely as it became clearer and clearer waiting anxiously to see my true name; that was the moment I had been waiting for ever since I could remember. Then it finally came through bold and beautiful: Bondless. As soon as I saw it I squealed at the top of my lungs and immediately jumped out of the shower and rushed into a small tank top and sweat pants, without even drying off, before running full speed down both flights of stairs of the manor to find my parents. After running though the many rooms of our home, I finally found them both in their study and ran up to them with an impossibly large smile. As I look back now, I remember every second of that moment:

"Mommy! Daddy! Guess what?! Guess what?!" They both stopped what they were doing to give me their full attention. Then my father kneeled down onto one knee to be eye level with me with a big smile.

"What is princess?" I then proudly lifted up my shirt slightly and pulled down my sweat pants just enough so they could see my name fully.

"My name appeared just now!" Father then immediately scooped me up and swung me around in a circle as I laughed hysterically; even though I was getting to be far too old for that, I still loved it when he did that, I loved his strength. All the while mother had her hands clasped tightly over her mouth trying to hold in her excitement, being the very proud women that she was.

"Congratulations Saiyu-kun! Mommy and daddy are so proud of you!" I was still laughing wildly when father put me down but once I got over the excitement I was filled with questions.

"Daddy…you always said that our name is our nature right?"

"Yes, it is."

"Ok so then what do you think Bondless means?" I distinctly remember the look on my father's face when I asked this. It was as though he was completely puzzled, which was an expression I had hardly seen on him; he always had all the answers.

"Well, knowing you Saiyuri and the fact that you have always been so free thinking and unique, I would say that you are Bondless because of the fact that you have never let yourself be held by any bonds. It is a name to be very proud of." At this point my father gave me his comforting smile and my mother had her hands held tightly together with a huge smile on her face. In that moment…I was happier than I had ever been in my life. But I still had so many questions.

"So daddy, what about my Sacrifice? Doesn't this mean that I should be finding them soon?" My mother then stepped in to answer my question, being a Sacrifice herself. She took my face in her small hands and spoke to me with that motherly smile.

"Yes dear, now that your name has appeared your Sacrifice will be drawn to you. And when you meet this person, you must promise me to be the best Sentouki you can be. Protect your Sacrifice and love them with your whole heart."

"I promise! I will make you both proud. We will be the best in the world, just like you and dad."

"We will always be proud of you." Both my parents then gave me a hug and sent me back to my room to study.

For that entire day I had completely forgotten that it was my birthday; I was far too busy studying and training to get ready to meet my partner. Even when night fell and I was lying in my bed, I could hardly sleep. My mind was racing with a thousand questions: Who will my Sacrifice be? What will they look like? Will it be someone I know or someone new? Will they be a boy or a girl? Will they be tall? Short? I just couldn't seem to stop wondering. But as I fell asleep that night, I knew one thing for sure with all my heart: No matter who my Sacrifice is, I will protect them with my life, I will love them fully and we will be unstoppable.

The next morning came and I spent the entire day either pacing the house or wondering around town, just waiting for my Sacrifice to appear or bump into me. But as that first day came to a close, no one appeared to me. I came home for the evening depressed and pouting. Both my parents chuckled at my behavior and told me that it will most likely take a few days and that I needed to be patient. I didn't want to be patient but I knew they were right, so I tried my best to go to bed that night with calming thoughts.

After several days had passed and I still hadn't found my partner, I started becoming more and more upset. My parents however, did their best every day to comfort me and they were helping but I still just wanted my Sacrifice.

The days then turned into weeks and the weeks turned into two months. By that time I had become very depressed and reclusive. I thought that maybe my Sacrifice wasn't trying to find me and that thought scared me to the core. And even at that point, my parents began to worry in secret; they did their best not to let me see their worry but I overheard them talking on several late nights about what could be happening. They were both just as confused as I was. But still I had hope, and still I didn't stop searching.

Those long months turned into two long years…still I hadn't found a partner. After that long time, the atmosphere in my home made an awful shift. I was constantly depressed and cried most nights, feeling like a failure somehow. My parents became people I didn't recognize. My mother, usually so strong willed and warm hearted, became cold and distant from me and father. She spent most of her nights in her study alone. And my father changed from the strong brave man I knew, to a depressed and obsessive man. He spent countless sleepless nights researching what was going on and I almost never saw him.

Then in December of my second year without a partner…my life changed forever.

I came home late that night from wondering about the town aimlessly. When I arrived home, all the lights were on and both of my parents' cars were parked in our driveway. I walked in and called out for them, but I received no reply. I searched all of the rooms in the entire house and found no one. I began to grow very scared as to what may have happened. After my search, I decided to go digging through fathers' office looking for any sign of where they may have gone.

After searching though all his drawers and cabinets, looking for a note or something, I found nothing. I then sat down in front of his computer in a scared frustration. I then decided to look on his computer for a clue. To this day, I wish I hadn't…

As I searched through all his files, I uncovered the secret my father was obsessing over. The first file I came upon was one detailing things that were considered taboo; the number one thing was a unit without a partner. As I read the page, tears began to fall from eyes as I realized that father had discovered that I was something that wasn't supposed to exist. And then my name finally made sense…Bondless was not someone who was held by no bonds. Bondless was one that shared no bond. I was born without a partner, forever doomed to be alone. I almost collapsed as this information seeped into my mind and it felt like my heart was being ripped form my chest. I will never forget that feeling.

I pushed myself to continue looking through his computer, still trying to find where they were or what happened to them. That's when I discovered the worst news of all. I found emails between him and his close friends of him telling them in explicit detail all about my Sacrifice and how promising we were becoming. My father not only didn't tell me what I was, but he had been hiding it from everyone. Even though this was a truth that was hard for me to bear, I couldn't blame him. From the previous pages I read, I knew that my situation was considered extremely taboo and a disgrace, and some even said it was an abomination to let someone like me to continue living. I finally couldn't take any more pain so I left my fathers' office and walked to my room in silence. That night I fell asleep with tears over flowing, assuming that my parents finally left in embarrassment of what I was. And I couldn't blame them.

Two more months passed and I still hadn't seen or heard from my parents. I tried my best to carry on even though everyday was agony. I almost never left the house and I spent most of my time sitting in mothers study starring out the window constantly lost in my thoughts.

It was half way through the third month that I finally decided to leave the manor and go walking about the city like I used to, hoping to find a new sense of normal. I remember that as I walked through town that night, I could feel everyone stares piercing through me and I could hear them whisper quietly to each other as I passed. I tried to ignore them, but the pain was overwhelming and I finally turned to walk back home. As I reached to edge of the city that night, I was abruptly stopped by a man I had never seen before. He grabbed me by my arm before speaking to me.

"Saiyuri? Is that you?" I had no idea who that man was, but I honestly didn't care at that point.

"Yes. Who wants to know?"

"I was a good friend of your fathers." As those words passed my ears, a fire ignited in me. I was ablaze with a million different thoughts and feelings.

"W-what?! What do you mean was!? Where is he!? Where is my mother?!" I had become frantic at that point and I remember shoving that poor man against a brick wall with tears in my eyes.

"Y-You mean you don't know? No one told you?"

"Told me What?!" The man then calmly reached his hands up to pull my shaking arms from his shoulders and I let him go. All I wanted were answers.

"I can't believe you haven't known all this time. Everyone assumed you moved away." The tears were now flowing like waterfalls from my eyes and my face was bright red.

"Please…tell me where they are….what happened?" He then took a deep breath and rested a hand on my shoulder. And I will never forget his words for as long as I live.

"Saiyuri…After your father found out about your…condition…he did everything he could to keep the information secret. It was something that pained him to do and drove him mad; he loved you so much and never wanted to have to hide you away, but he knew that there are people in this world that would not take kindly to someone like you. But one night, two people came through here asking where you and your family lived. They asked me first and they said they were from the Seven Moons Academy; I didn't trust them so I told them nothing. Sadly however, they asked others in town who didn't know any better, and they found out where you live. After learning this, I followed them to your home and I saw your mother and father invite them like old friends, so I left assuming everything was ok. Then almost an hour later, I got a call from your father…I could hear your mother screaming in the background and the two men from before laughing. Then all your father said to me was 'tell Saiyuri that we love her' and then the line went quiet. No one has seen or heard from them since then. I came by your home several times after it happened to check on you and tell you, but you never answered so I finally gave up and thought you left." I then collapsed onto the ground screaming with red hot tears flowing down my cheeks. The man tried to comfort me but I pushed him away in anger, making him fall to the ground. He picked himself up and placed another hand on my back.

"I'm sorry Saiyuri…" He then just walked away, leaving me to my misery alone.

After a few minutes I gathered myself and walked back home. As soon as I got there, I went straight to my fathers' computer and began searching and studying like my life depended on it.

From that point on, I trained every hour of everyday. I learned how to live on my own, I taught myself spells that no one believed were possible, and I taught myself how to handle pain. I conditioned in pain management until my body gave out me every single night. My aspirations changed completely. I was then determined to turn this curse into a force to be feared by all. If I was going to be doomed to be Bondless, one without a partner, I was going to make myself more powerful than any pair on the face of the earth. For the next year I went to bed every night, bloodied and bruised, the only thought running through my mind was that I promised I would make my parents proud, and I'll be damned if I didn't keep that promise.

I am twenty years old now and I still live in my family manor. I still train every day, preparing. I travel all over the country searching, fighting and defeating everyone that gets in my way. And I will not stop training; I will not stop searching, until I find the ones responsible for my parents' disappearance. And when I find them…I will avenge my parents at all costs. I will make them proud.

 


	27. Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And back to the main plot once again ^_^

Ritsuka suddenly awoke to find himself in an unfamiliar place. He quickly sat up and scanned the entire area around him briefly. He had now come to find himself in a large snow covered forest. After a few seconds, he moved himself backwards slightly to prop himself up on a large tree that was behind him and then began taking in his surroundings in detail trying to assess his situation; or at least figure out where he was. As his eyes skimmed across all of the tall snowy trees, he caught a glimpse of a tall shadowy figure leaning against a tree only a few yards away from him. He focused his eyes on the figure trying to make it out more clearly.

"Ritsuka…" When the figure called his name it sounded as if it was a whisper on the wind but he still knew that voice anywhere. His eyes shot wide and his stomach dropped as soon as he recognized the voice.

"S-Seimei…." Then before Ritsuka could blink, the older man had him pinned tightly against the tree with his large hands pressed firmly on his windpipe.

"Hello Ritsuka." Seimei was now smiling wildly as he slowly applied more and more pressure to the boy's slender neck. Ritsuka could feel his chest getting tight and his heart rate beginning to slow from lack of air; but even now, even after all the horrible things that Seimei had done and despite how much he hated him, Ritsuka couldn't bring himself to fight against the brother that he had always held so close to his heart.

"S-Seimei…why…?" Ritsuka was now fighting just for enough breath to speak and he could feel his eye lids growing heavy.

"Why what?"

"W-why did you…erase my memories..?" His question was met with a dark chuckle before reply.

"Because…you were too weak to handle the truth; you have always been weak. You always needed big brother to come to your rescue. That's why I did it, that's why mother hates you…" Seimei then applied more pressure to the boy's throat. Ritsuka could feel his life slipping away but he gritted his teeth in anger as Seimei's words echoed through his head. "…and that's why…Soubi will never truly love you." These words lit a fire in Ritsuka's belly and he gathered strength that he didn't even know he had to shove Seimei off of him, slamming him into a nearby tree. Ritsuka then rose defiantly to his feet and took a few small steps to be standing in front of his brother that had now fallen to the cold ground.

"That's where you're wrong Seimei! Soubi does love me! And I don't need you or mother or anything else to prove that to me; all I need is the name and the bond that we share. A bond that you could never have with him!" Seimei was now laughing devilishly as he looked at his small brother. "And that is why…you are dead and I'm not." With those words, Seimei's body burst into a swarm of beautiful butterflies that quickly filled the snowy air.

"Ahhh!" Ritsuka's eyes quickly flew open and he shot straight up breathing heavily and in a cold sweat. He then realized that he was resting safely on the large couch in Soubi's living room. Soubi heard his Sacrifice scream and came running from his studio and quickly sat down on the couch behind Ritsuka wrapping him up in his arms.

"Are you ok Ritsuka?" Ritsuka took a moment before answering, trying to catch his breath.

"Yeah…I'm fine. I just…had a bad dream." There was then a small silence as Ritsuka allowed Soubi to gently caress his head; he found it to be rather soothing, almost enough so to put him right back to sleep. "Soubi…What time is it? What happened, how did I end up inside on the couch?" Soubi then gently lifted the boy and turned him around to be facing him and Ritsuka propped himself up onto his knees slightly.

"Well its nine o'clock in the morning now. And you were knocked unconscious after our battle so I carried you inside and laid you down on the couch so that I could keep an eye on you."

"You stayed up all night just to watch over me?"

"Of course; I wasn't sure how much the ordeal had taken out of you so naturally I was worried." This brought a pink tint to Ritsuka's cheeks.

"Thank you." Soubi then gave him a smile that made him forget all about his dream.

"So Ritsuka, we need to figure out what all we can remember from last night so that we can put a report together for Ritsu. So what exactly do you remember from last night?" Ritsuka took a few moments to try and remember everything that he could.

"Well it's weird…I remember more than I thought I would. I remember Bondless; I remember that it was only one person though, a girl, fighting without her sacrifice. I remember everything about the battle…the way she fought, the spells she cast, and that we lost. But no matter how hard I try, I can't remember what she looked or sounded like. When I think back to the battle, every memory is crystal clear except there is just a big black spot where I know she was standing, like someone censored out her image; and when I try to remember her voice, I can barely make out the words and they sounds like fuzzy static." Soubi then gave him a puzzled look as if he was trying to solve a riddle.

"That's exactly as I remember it as well. I'm curious as to why she chose to hide only her identity from us, but when she fought the academy students she wiped their memories clean of everything."

"Yeah…that is weird." There was then silence again as the two tried to process their thoughts. Ritsuka then broke the silence after taking another look at the clock.

"Well, it's already too late for me to go to school today, so what do you suppose we should do now Soubi?"

"Well we should probably go give Ritsu his mission report and get it over with." Ritsuka let out a long unhappy sigh at this; Ritsu was definitely the last person he wanted to see right now, but he knew Soubi was probably right.

"Fine…I guess it is better just to get it over with."

The duo then rose from the couch and headed to the entry way to put on their winter coats, neither of them even bothering to change out of the clothes they wore throughout the night before. Once dressed, they ventured out into the snow filled air and began the journey that was now becoming an unfortunate routine. The long ride no longer even fazed Ritsuka and it seemed like they had arrived at the academy in no time at all. The academy was a bustle of activity when they arrived seeing as it was during school hours now. Soubi parked the car and they made their way casually into the building and toward Ritsu's office. When they arrived at his office the door was already open and they saw Nagisa standing in front of Ritsu's desk yelling something about her research budget. Soubi then placed a gentle knock on the door frame to alert them of their presence. Nagisa quickly whipped around and immediately gave them both a very dirty look.

"We need to speak to Ritsu-Sensei." Soubi spoke in a calm voice but never the less, Nagisa stormed out of the office without a word making sure to roughly bump into Soubi as she passed. Ritsu then neatly folded his hands on his desk before addressing the duo.

"Loveless, please have a seat." They did as instructed and sat in the seats opposite the blonde. "So, I'm assuming you have come to give me a status update on your mission." Ritsuka then scooted forward in his chair slightly to answer Ritsu.

"Yes. We encountered Bondless last night shortly after arriving home." Ritsu was genuinely surprised at this statement.

"Oh? That was much sooner than I anticipated. I can tell that you obviously were not able to apprehend them so I'm guessing you had your memories wiped."

"Well we actually remember most of it." Ritsu then leaned back in his chair and gave an inquisitive look.

"Really? Well please, fill me in on what you do remember."

"Well we were able to conclude that the target is female and she is incredibly powerful as you said; we lost our battle with her."

"Why are you only referring to the Sentouki of the pair Ritsuka?"

"Well she fought us without her Sacrifice."

"Interesting…anything else?"

"That's about it. She erased all of our memories of her identity and even the sound of her voice; the only other thing is that for some reason, she chose not to fully erase out memories like she did to your students." Ritsu then paused for a moment before speaking.

"Well this is an interesting development indeed; but seeing as the unit has not been apprehended yet I'm afraid you two are still on this mission." This finally caused Soubi to speak out.

"I would like for us to be taken off of this mission actually; Ritsuka has had his memories tampered with enough." Soubi's voice was clearly very agitated.

"Well I would prefer if you two took care of this matter, but I can understand your reasoning so if you wish, I can assign another pair of my top students to the mission."

"That would be much appreciated." Ritsu then put a very devilish grin.

"I think Limitless might be able to handle it." This infuriated Ritsuka; he was not very surprised that Ritsu would stoop that low but it angered him all the same. He let out a small growl before addressing Ritsu again.

"No…we will stay on the mission." Soubi looked over to see the angry pain on Ritsuka's face and knew that he would never let Ritsu put his friends in harm's way so he knew that there was no point in arguing with him.

"Good, I'm glad to hear it. I expect a successful mission report from you two the next time you visit."

"You will. We know how she fights now and if she continues to fight without her Sacrifice we should have no problem taking her down next time."

"I enjoy your enthusiasm Ritsuka."

"Yeah, whatever." Ritsuka was really started to get fed up with that man's manipulative games and was really looking forward to getting this mission over with. Ritsuka then stood from his chair followed quickly by Soubi and they made their way back out of Ritsu's office. Ritsuka then stopped just inside the door frame and turned to face Ritsu. "Oh, one last thing Sensei."

"Yes?"

"Bondless gave me a message for you."

"Oh? And what is it?"

"She said she is coming for you." Ritsuka's voice was icy cold and very threatening. They both then exited the office without another word. Once they left Ritsu turned his chair around to face out of the window and put on an evil smirk and chuckled slightly.

"You're coming for me are you? Well, I look forward to it Ms. Kazuka."

Ritsuka and Soubi made a quick exit from the campus not wanting to stay any longer than absolutely necessary. The ride home was quiet as Ritsuka became lost in his thoughts. He now had his window cracked slightly taking the cool air into his lungs. The cold air filling the car was beginning to make his hands feel slightly numb and tingly so he tucked them neatly into the pockets of his large coat. As soon as he did he felt a small piece of paper in his left pocket; he didn't remember having anything there before so he pulled it out of his pocket and unfolded it. He was in shock at what was written on the piece of paper.

Loveless,  
If you want answers, meet me in the park by your home tonight at nine o'clock.

-Bondless

Ritsuka was slightly in shock and he burst out suddenly causing Soubi to jump a little.

"Soubi! I just found a note in my pocket from Bondless!" Soubi then looked over to his Sacrifice with a puzzled and shocked expression.

"What does it say?"

"She, or maybe they, wants to meet us in the park tonight at nine. It says to come if we want answers."

"It could be a trap." Ritsuka hadn't thought of that but he also didn't care, he wanted all the answers he could get about what was going on or who they are or want their plans are.

"I don't know Soubi, but she said that she was coming for Ritsu and I want to know why and I want to know more about her memory spells. It's a risk I'm willing to take; we are going."

"Understood."

"I'm going to get to the bottom of all this….no matter what."

**TBC**


	28. Answers

By the time they arrived home it was still only early afternoon. Soubi had stopped on their way home to pick up some lunch for them, so they were now sitting together at the kitchen table enjoying the sushi that Soubi had purchased. They sat together in a comfortable silence for a short while until Soubi looked up from his tray to see his Sacrifice shuffling his food about on his plate rather than eating it.

"Ritsuka…what's the matter? Are you worried about our meeting this evening?" Ritsuka let out a soft sigh and laid his chop sticks down to look back at Soubi with a depressed expression.

"I'm not worried…I would say I'm more anxious."

"Why is that?"

"I just can't help feeling like there is something big going on but I can't seem to see the whole picture; it's like I'm missing pieces to a puzzle and it's really bothering me."

"What do you mean something 'big going on'?"

"I just feel like everything that has been going on, all the new people we have met, everything we have been learning, it's all part of a bigger picture…and I have a bad feeling about all of it; and worse, I feel like Ritsu is at the center of all it."

"Well I must admit I too have been feeling like there is something odd going on at the academy."

"Yeah…but right now I just hope that Bondless will give us some useful information and this isn't just another game."

"Agreed, but we should probably stay on our toes just in case; it does seem like the Bondless Sentouki is a little childish…but powerful none the less."

"Yeah…we should probably use this time we have to train actually."

"Well I thought maybe we could just use some down time…but if you would rather train then we will." Ritsuka could hear the subtle hint of sadness in Soubi's voice and see the brightness in his face fade slightly. Now he felt bad and now that he thought about it, they really hadn't had any time to just spend together lately; but he also knew that they needed to be prepared for anything. Ritsuka was extremely conflicted as he looked at that beautiful sad face across from him.

"Well…tell ya what Soubi, let's play a game. If you win then we will spend the day doing whatever you want and if I win then we will spend the day training." This defiantly peaked Soubi's interest and brought the brightness back to his face; he really loved these little games that Ritsuka kept coming up with.

"Ok. What's the game?" Ritsuka thought in silence for a moment on what game to play this time.

"Hmmm… How about trivia?" This brought a sly smile to both their faces.

"Ok, what are the rules?"

"We each get to ask each other five questions, three must be something personal and the other two must pertain to spell battles. Whoever gets the most answers correct wins."

"Ok and what if it's a tie?" Ritsuka then picked up his chopsticks and shoved a piece of sushi into his mouth and swallowed before giving Soubi a devilish smile.

"Don't worry about that, I'm going to win this game." Soubi could then only laugh at his lover's adorable sense of over confidence.

"Ok. Well you first Ritsuka." Ritsuka then nodded and put his chopsticks back down onto the table.

"Alright then; what is my favorite animal?" Soubi gave a small confident scoff at this question.

"The Iriomote Cat."

"Correct. You're turn."

"What is my favorite color?"

"Easy; purple."

"Correct. Score is one to one." Ritsuka then put on a grin as he tried to think of a harder question.

"What is my favorite subject in school?" Soubi had to think on this one for a moment; Ritsuka never really spoke much of school so Soubi didn't actually know the answer at all. Soubi did however know how much Ritsuka liked things that are clear, constant and definite.

"Math?" This made Ritsuka's confident smile diminish slightly.

"Good guess, that's correct." Soubi was starting to feel very good about this game and about how well he really knew his sacrifice.

"My turn. What is my favorite food?" Ritsuka's smile was now completely wiped off his face as he realized that he had no idea what Soubi liked to eat; every time Soubi cooked for him, he always made what he wanted. He quickly began racking his brain for an answer but drew a complete blank.

"Um…sushi?" Soubi let out a small laugh and then Ritsuka looked down and the tray in front of Soubi and realized that he had picked all of the fish off his sushi and had only eaten the rice.

"Incorrect. The score is now two to one."

"Damn…" Ritsuka then paused for a moment to think extra hard on his last personal question to try and stump his Sentouki. "Ok smart guy, what is my favorite manga?" Soubi truly had no clue on this one.

"I have no idea." This brought that sly grin back to the boy's face.

"It's Saiyuki. Score is still two to one." Ritsuka then playfully stuck his tongue out at the blonde.

"So it is, but it's my turn now. What is my biggest fear?"

"That's too easy Soubi; you're afraid of the dark more than anything." Ritsuka then crossed his arms in a cocky manner while Soubi gave him a humble nod.

"Correct. Two to two." The score may have been tied, but Soubi was confident that he could stump Ritsuka on the battle questions seeing as he had been doing it for much longer than his Sacrifice.

"Now…Soubi, is it possible to counter environmental attacks?" Soubi didn't even have to think on that one.

"Yes, but you can only counter them with another environmental spell."

"Very good." Soubi was now ready to really test Ritsuka's knowledge.

"Ritsuka, true or false: Only the two battling pairs can be affected by a battle radius." It only took Ritsuka a short moment to think back on one of their previous battles when the Zero boys were taken into the battle radius with them.

"False, anyone within the battle radius may be affected."

"Good job. That brings it to three to three and your last question." Soubi then gave the boy a small confident smile as if he had already won. Ritsuka met his smile with an equally confident one.

"Ok, let's see how much you have really been studying our new spells…can an inoffensive spell be defended against?" Soubi was really rather impressed at how much Ritsuka had learned, but he still knew more.

"Hmmm…trick question. Inoffensive cannot be blocked but they can be dodged." Ritsuka then put on a very pouty face and let out a gruff sigh.

"Correct."

"Ok Ritsuka, you have to get this last one right if you want to tie."

"I know!" Ritsuka was now in a full pout; he did not like losing. Soubi then let out a small laugh at his pouting partner before giving him his final test.

"Alright…if two units decided to battle in public, are 'normal' bystanders able to see the battle radius?" Ritsuka immediately grinned wildly and he answered in a very confident tone.

"Trick question. They won't be able to see the battle radius but they would notice that the fighting units were no longer visible."

"Incorrect." Ritsuka's jaw almost hit the floor; he was so sure in his answer.

"What?!"

"The reason we never battle in public areas is because although any passersby will not see the battle radius or the spells being cast, they will see the two pairs shouting at each other, bleeding for no apparent reason, and so on and so forth."

"Damn!" Soubi then put on a very satisfied smile.

"I win."

"Yeah yeah."

"If it means that much to you though, we could still train if you want." Ritsuka could see the sincerity in Soubi's face and his childish anger melted away; Soubi was always so eager to please him and always gave him whatever he wanted, so he figured it was only fair to do something Soubi wanted for once.

"No, you won fair and square. We can do whatever you want Sou-chan." Ritsuka then gave his Sentouki a big beautiful smile that made Soubi's heart flutter.

"Thank you Ritsuka."

"Of course; so, what do you want to do?"

As the words left his mouth, Ritsuka saw a dramatic shift in the look in Soubi's eyes and he quickly wished that he hadn't asked. Before he knew it, Soubi had lifted him straight out of his chair and now had him held tightly in his arms with his lips pressed firmly against his own. Soubi then released the boy's lips and looked into his bright red face with a devilish glint in his eyes. Soubi then leaned his head down slightly to be right next to Ritsuka's ear to whisper his answer to him.

"You."

Just the way that Soubi whispered that one word sent warm chills all the way through Ritsuka's entire body; he then couldn't help but to throw his arms desperately around the blonde's strong neck and latch onto those wonderfully soft lips once again moaning softly against them. Ritsuka began nibbling and licking gently at Soubi's lips until he finally gained entrance into his lovers mouth; he loved the way that Soubi tasted, like honey with just the right hint of bitterness from his smoking. Ritsuka had gotten so lost in their kiss that he hadn't even noticed that he was now laying on his back on the soft carpet of their living room floor with Soubi hovering seductively over him. Soubi finally broke their kiss to let Ritsuka catch his breath and so that he could make quick work of the shirt that separated him from the body that he so desired. After removing the boy's shirt, Soubi raised onto his knees for a moment to take in the sight of Ritsuka's now bright red face and the beautiful torso that was topped with the name that they shared together; he also noticed in that moment that Ritsuka's name now had a lot more fractures in it, the cracks now made their way through all of the first four letters of his name. He then returned his gaze the boy's face to see that he was now very seductively biting onto the corner of his bottom lip, the sight drove Soubi back onto his Sacrifice and he began a ruthless assault on that body. Soubi gently kissed all the way around Ritsuka's neck then down past his collar bones. He then found those wonderful nipples and very lightly traced circles all the way around one of them with his tongue before clasping his mouth onto it, flicking it in his mouth with his tongue earning him a somewhat loud moan from the boy underneath him. The sensation sent a wave of warmth through Ritsuka's entire body and caused him to arch his back slightly which allowed Soubi to slip one of his slender arms underneath him. Soubi used this new leverage to lift up the boy's body just enough to slide off his tight jeans along with his new tight boxer briefs, which he threw across the room, before laying him back onto the ground. Soubi finally released Ritsuka's small nipple from his mouth and moved to be in between the boy's legs. Soubi then caught onto his lovers lips once again in a passionate kiss while he began gently thrusting his hip against Ritsuka's exposed erection. Ritsuka then wrapped his legs around Soubi's slender waist and began bucking his hips in time with Soubi's thrusts, all the while letting out soft moans into his mouth. As their thrusting continued, Ritsuka could feel his stomach growing tight and he was becoming increasingly frustrated with the jeans that still separated them and he knew just how to get what he wanted. Ritsuka broke their kiss and wrapped his arms around Soubi's neck, pulling his ear right up to his mouth and licked the entire length of the blonde's ear as he moaned seductively into it.

"Soubi…I want you…so badly." Ritsuka moaned each word into Soubi's ear and released his arms from around his Sentouki's neck.

This went Soubi flying right over the edge and he quickly removed his jeans and boxers to release his large throbbing member. As soon as Ritsuka saw the wonderful pleasure bringing organ that he longed for, he wrapped his arms back around Soubi's neck to moan into his ear once again.

"Soubi…please…fuck me…" This time Ritsuka's words were a very needy moan as if his life depended on Soubi being inside of him; he definitely was getting very good at knowing exactly what drove Soubi crazy.

Soubi answered his petite lover by picking him up by his love handles and flipping him over onto his stomach onto the floor. Ritsuka then knew exactly what to do and he quickly propped himself up on his elbows slightly and raised his ass high up into the air. Ritsuka then looked back over his shoulder to the blonde and gave him the sexiest pleading face; he didn't even need to say another word as his pleas were quickly being answered by the feeling of Soubi's large hands clasping firmly onto his hips and the feelings of his erection pressing teasingly against his entrance. Soubi could barely contain himself any longer and he began looking around desperately for something to lubricate himself. Ritsuka noticed this but absolutely did not want to wait any longer; he wanted his lover and he wanted him now, so he took the initiative and moved his hips suddenly backwards to force Soubi's cock inside of himself. The sudden sensation took Soubi completely by surprised and he let out a deep moan at the blissful tightness. Ritsuka however underestimated how much that action would hurt and he bit down hard on his lip in pain.

"Are you okay Ritsuka?"

"Nnnhhnn…yeah…please Soubi…move…" Soubi was happy to do so and slowly pulled his cock almost all the way out of his lover before slowly pushing all the way back in.

"Ahhh! Yes…!"

Ritsuka's moans drove Soubi crazy and it wasn't long at all before he was picking up the pace and moving the boy's hips with his hands to pull him in close over his cock then back out again. Ritsuka then began bucking his hips up higher and higher into the air with each thrust until Soubi hit that special spot inside him.

"AHHH! S-Soubi!"

As soon as Soubi hit that spot, Ritsuka almost lost his breath; he couldn't believe how much different the sensation felt in this position, it was pure pleasure. Soubi then quickened the pace of his thrusts and released one hand from the boy's hips to move it to grasp firmly onto Ritsuka's weeping erection, stoking it in time with his thrusts. This caused Ritsuka to throw his head back in ecstasy and tighten all his muscles around the organ inside him, earning his a deep sensual moan from the blonde.

"Ohh..Ritsuka…"

"Soubi!...Nnnhhnn faster!"

Soubi then released Ritsuka's erection and replaced his hand on his hip so that he could slam himself into his lover over and over again.

"Yes! Don't stop…please…"

Soubi did as he was told and continued his harsh assault on Ritsuka's insides that were burning around his cock. Soubi could now feel his stomach tightening itself into a knot and began thrusting wildly as fast and hard as he could into the boy, both of them now moaning in time with his thrusts. Finally after one last hard thrust, Ritsuka screamed loud as he came onto the carpet below him.

"S-SOUBI!"

The way Ritsuka screamed his name was enough on its own to drive him over the edge but it was the way that orgasm made his lover tighten so much around him that caused him to release himself into Ritsuka completely with a deep grunting moan.

"Nnn! R-Ritsuka…"

Soubi stayed propped up on his knees still buried deep inside his partner until his legs finally gave out on him and he quickly pulled himself out and collapsed on the floor next to Ritsuka. Ritsuka quickly followed suit, collapsing and rolling over onto his back, breathing heavily trying to catch his breathe. The two of them lay completely naked side by side on the floor together for a few silent moments before Ritsuka rolled over to tuck himself neatly underneath one of Soubi's strong arms, snuggling tightly against his warm body. It was only another short moment before Soubi looked down to see his lover revert back to his adorable innocent face, now fast asleep cuddled up in his arm. Soubi could then only smile and place a gentle kiss on the top of his head, taking care to stay as still as possible not wanting to wake him.

When Ritsuka woke up, he was still lying on the floor but he was now alone and was dressed in only his tight underwear. He sat up letting out a large yawn and looked toward the living room window to see that the sun had now set and it was rather dark outside. He then quickly looked up at the clock to check the time and was relieved to see that it was eight thirty so he hadn't missed their meeting. Ritsuka then got up on his feet and headed into to Soubi's studio, assuming that he was in there painting. As soon as he walked through the door, the tall blonde turned around in his chair away from his easel to greet his barely dressed partner.

"Well hello." Soubi's slightly playful tone caused Ritsuka to look down at himself and he quickly remembered that he was only wearing his boxers. His face went bright red as he shuffled his body outside of the door frame so that only his head was now poking into the studio.

"Um…hey Soubi. Sorry for falling asleep." Soubi let out a small laugh at Ritsuka's embarrassment.

"It's alright; I figured I would let you nap for a while, I was actually just coming to wake you up."

"Well thank you. I'm going to go get dressed now then we can head to the park."

"Ok Ritsuka." As Ritsuka scuffled out of the room, Soubi returned to his easel to put a few last brush strokes on the paper before getting ready to leave.

It wasn't very long until Ritsuka came down the stairs, now fully dressed in his normal black jeans and a large grey sweatshirt, to meet his Sentouki that was leaning against the kitchen table fully dressed and ready to go. Ritsuka made his way silently to the entry way to put on his large blue fluffy winter coat and Soubi watched on happily as he did so; Soubi loved that coat, there was something about the way that the black fur trim on the sleeves and hood complimented Ritsuka's natural hair color that made him look absolutely adorable, not to mention that it fit him so perfectly so that he could see every small curve on that small slender body.

"You coming Soubi?" Soubi was then snapped out of his daydreaming and began walking to meet Ritsuka in the entry way.

"Yes. Are you ready Ritsuka?"

"Yes."

"Do you have any questions prepared that you'd like to ask them?"

"No not really, I think I'm just going to play it by ear and see how it goes; it still might be a trap after all."

"Alright then; let's get going." Soubi then smiled graciously as he opened the door for Ritsuka.

They were then off on their short walk to the park. Upon arriving, they were not sure exactly where to go, seeing as they weren't given a specific location, so they subconsciously ended up at the very same picnic table where they shared their first kiss. They then sat down opposite each other, as they did on that day, underneath the light of only a single lamp post and awaited the arrival of the mysterious Bondless. They sat at the table in silence for about five minutes until the lamp post that lit the area suddenly went out and they could hear that eerie laughter surround them from all sides. They both immediately shot up from their seats and moved to be standing right next to each other in the darkness, ready for anything.

"Good to see you again boys." Ritsuka then let out a small scoff before replying into the empty darkness.

"Wish we could say the same. You didn't have to turn out the light you know!" He was met again with the girl's laughter.

"Oh but I love the dark; it protects and hides and comforts." There was then a short silence before Ritsuka could hear the voice shift once again to seem as though it was being whispered in his ear. "I am the darkness."

"Did you bring your Sacrifice this time or did you come alone?"

"I am alone." Ritsuka was now started to get a little tired of the girl's voice bouncing around in the darkness and was more than ready to get down to business.

"Fine, but could you at least show yourself now? You said you had answers for me." Ritsuka's tone was now very irritated. He then heard the girl sigh loudly from the darkness and could hear a very dramatic shift in her tone when she replied.

"Ok Ritsuka…ill turn the light back on and give you the answers you want, but you have to promise something."

"Oh? And what is that?"

"You have to promise that you won't be mad at me and that you will at least hear me out; I don't want to battle you again but I will if I have to in self-defense." Ritsuka was now completely confused by the girls request and he could now hear a hint of sadness in her voice. He then scooted a little closer to Soubi for protection before answering.

"Um ok, I promise." Once his promise was made the light quickly returned to the lamp, but Soubi and Ritsuka were still starring off into an empty park; Ritsuka was really starting to get pissed off, but his anger was quickly quelled when he heard a voice from behind them.

"Over here." They both whipped around the see a small blonde haired girl standing on top of the picnic table with her blonde ears sticking straight up and her long fluffy tail wagging slightly behind her. Both Soubi and Ritsuka were in a state of complete shock at what they saw.

"S-Saiyuri?!" The girl then lowered her ears slightly and put on a slightly sad expression.

"Yes Ritsuka…I am Bondless." Ritsuka then felt his knees begin to buckle beneath him and he began to lose his balance. Soubi was quick to catch him before he fell and picked him up completely before sitting him down at the picnic table. Saiyuri then hopped off the top of the table and sat opposite Ritsuka while Soubi stayed standing right behind Ritsuka just in case they needed to make a quick escape. Ritsuka took a moment to gather himself before starting in one the mountain of questions he had.

"Saiyuri…why did you lie before about being normal? Do Reiki and Sasuke know?" She let out a long sigh at these questions before answering.

"Please forgive me Ritsuka; but no they don't know and I'd like to keep it that way, I didn't want to involve any of you in my problems. I had no idea that Ritsu would send you two after me."

"So you knew that Ritsu was after you?"

"Yes; he has been trying to capture me for some time now, but I have been trying to get to him first." Ritsuka could then feel himself grow lightheaded again and he buried his face in his hands.

"Are you ok Ritsuka?" The sincerity in the girl's voice was somewhat comforting to Ritsuka and he slowly lifted his head from his hands to speak once more.

"Yeah, I just have so many questions."

"Please, ask whatever you like Ritsuka." There was then a small pause as Ritsuka tried to figure out where to even start.

"Ok…where is your Sacrifice Saiyuri? And why is Ritsu after you?" This caused Saiyuri to let out a long sigh and her ears to lay flat against her head.

"Well…I don't have one…and that's why Ritsu is after me."

"W-what?! How can you not have a Sacrifice? Did something happen to them?"

"No, I never had one to begin with. I was born without a partner; when my name appeared my Sacrifice never did."

"Wow…so why does that make Ritsu want to capture you so much." Soubi then placed a large hand on Ritsuka's shoulder and cut in to answer this question himself.

"Ritsu is obsessed with perfection and his search for the perfect fighting unit and Saiyuri's situation is something that is not supposed to happen and it is even widely considered that someone born without a partner is an abomination."

"That's awful…but I still don't understand what Ritsu would want with her." Saiyuri then cut back in to answer, trying to fight back the tears welling up in her eyes as she was reminded of her being seen as an abomination.

"Well I am not entirely sure of his intentions either but from all the research I've done, I can guess that he either wants to force me into pairing with a blank or he wants to have his little lap dog dissect and study me; or maybe they just want me dead." Ritsuka's heart was breaking at the sight of the over whelming sadness in the girl's face.

"Saiyuri…I'm so sorry…" She then did her best to put on a convincing smile.

"It's ok Ritsuka. I am sorry if I hurt you at all during our battle and I'm sorry for tampering with your memories, I just couldn't take the chance of you telling Ritsu anything about my identity."

"It's ok, I was fine. I understand why you did what you did and I promise I won't tell him anything; I won't let that man hurt anymore people that I care about."

"Thank you Ritsuka, that means a lot to me." They both then gave each other genuinely happy smiles for a moment before Ritsuka continued on with his questions.

"So why are you trying to get to Ritsu first? Why don't you just hide or run away?"

"Well…almost two years ago now…my parents disappeared. I still have no idea what happened to them; all I know is that the Seven Moons Academy was involved somehow and I believe that their disappearance was a result of my father's efforts to hide what I was from the world. So I have spent the past two years training relentlessly and mastering the most powerful techniques so that I can find Ritsu and figure out what happened to my parents, and make whoever is responsible pay for what they did." Upon hearing her story, something finally clicked in Soubi's brain and he was finally starting to be able to piece things together.

"Saiyuri…I knew I had heard your parents name before. When I was a student at the academy, I heard Ritsu and Nagisa talking about Fearless quite often; they used to go on and on about how they defeated every pair that they ever threw at them." Saiyuri instantly became anxious after this statement; this was one of the best leads she had gotten on her parents.

"Do you know what happened to them?!" Soubi then gave her a very solemn expression.

"No…I'm afraid that I left the academy when I was eighteen, long before your parent's disappearance." Saiyuri was a little crushed by this, but she knew it wasn't Soubi's fault.

"Oh, ok." Ritsuka couldn't stand to see his newest friend this way and he was now determined to try and help her as best he could. He then silently stood up from his seat and walked over to place a gentle hand on Saiyuri's shoulder and gave her a comforting smile.

"Saiyuri, we are going to do our best to help you figure out what happened to your parents. I have a lot of friends who either attend the academy now or used to, so I'm sure someone has to know something." Saiyuri could no longer hold back her tears and she let them run down her face with a smile; it had been such a long time since someone had shown her such kindness. The feeling overwhelmed her and all she could do at that point was jump up and throw her arms around Ritsuka locking him in a bone crushing hug.

"Thank you Ritsuka, from the bottom of my heart."

"N-no problem…ah…can't...breathe…" Saiyuri then realized she was squeezing the air right out of Ritsuka and quickly released him with a slight giggle.

"Sorry Ritsuka…" Ritsuka retorted with a small laugh of his own.

"It's ok." Soubi watched on as the two laughed and smiled together and he hated to be the bearer of bad news but he figured now was a good enough time as any to tell them the bad news.

"Ritsuka, we still have one problem…" This snapped them both out of their laughter to turn to Soubi with a serious face.

"What's that?"

"We are still assigned to the mission to capture Bondless." Ritsuka then slapped his forehead in aggravation.

"Oh man, I forgot. Damn…What do you think we should do Soubi?"

"I'm not sure…we could always try lying and telling him that we couldn't locate her again, but I'm not entirely sure he would believe it." Saiyuri then raised her hand high up in the air, like a student waiting to be called on in class, making Soubi chuckle slightly. "Yes Saiyuri?"

"Why don't you just let him put someone else on the mission?"

"We already tried that and Ritsu threatened to put a unit named Limitless on the mission fully knowing that Limitless are both of Ritsuka's good friends from school. So Ritsuka refused to let them be put in harm's way."

"Wow, I have yet to actually meet this Ritsu, but he seems like a total asshole from what I've gathered." This again made Soubi chuckle slightly.

"You have no idea." All three of them were then silent as they all tried to think of a plan. A few minutes past before Saiyuri finally got a brilliant idea.

"I've got it!" Soubi and Ritsuka then turned to her awaiting her master plan. "I've got it all figured out but for this plan to work, you two can't know the details yet." Ritsuka gave her a rather puzzled look.

"Um ok…well what do you want us to do then?"

"I need you to do two things as of now: I need you to gather all the information you can from your friends on what happened to my parents and even who is responsible exactly if possible; then you two need to continue acting as though you are trying to capture me as you normally would. It is very important that you maintain the appearance that you don't know my identity and that you are still chasing me."

"Ok…but why can't we know the rest of the plan?"

"Because none of us know exactly how much Ritsu knows or how far his eyes and ears reach; we can't risk him finding out that we are working together, it would jeopardize everything."

"Ok I can understand that, but what do we do after we have gathered all the information we can?"

"I will be watching over you and once you feel like you have enough info, come back here to this table at nine o'clock and I will meet you here with the next step of the plan." Ritsuka then looked up to Soubi and waited for his approving nod before agreeing to this whole plan.

"Ok, we can do that."

"Good! Oh and one last thing, until we move forward with this plan you two can't come over anymore, just in case. I will tell Reiki and Sasuke that you are busy or something, they should be fine training on their own."

"Ok, try not to let them kill themselves." This made Saiyuri burst out in laughter.

"I can't make any promises on that one." They were then all laughing together like old friends until Soubi checked his watch to see that it was getting late.

"We should head home Ritsuka, it's late and you have school tomorrow." Ritsuka let out a small sigh at the idea but knew Soubi was right.

"Fine…Well thank you for everything Saiyuri." Saiyuri replied by wrapping her arms around the small boy, gently this time, and giving him a loving hug.

"No, thank you Ritsuka; you too Soubi." She then released the boy from her grasp and gave them both a big grin. "Well I will be seeing you soon boys, good luck." With that, before they could even blink, Saiyuri had vanished into the darkness.

Ritsuka then just looked up at Soubi with an adorable smile and Soubi scooped him up in his arms catching his soft lips in a tender kiss. After breaking the kiss, Ritsuka looked deeply into his Sentouki's eyes with smiles in his own.

"Will you carry me home Soubi?"

"Of course."

The two then made their way home with smiles on their faces, finally feeling like they were doing something good for someone they cared about and they could now both only hope that they could find a way to solve this ever growing mystery.

**TBC**


	29. Intel

Ritsuka awoke early the next morning feeling well rested for the first time in quite a while now. He let out a silent yawn and stretched his arms widely, trying not to wake the beautiful blonde still sleeping next to him. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and gently climbed from the large fluffy bed before rustling through the dresser drawers to find something to wear for the day. He grabbed a pair of his normal black jeans and a baby blue long sleeve shirt to wear underneath his sweater. He then made his way down the hall and into the bathroom to quickly get dressed with enough time to make it to school. Once he was dressed and had his bag packed, he walked down the stairs and toward the door and on his way down he ran one of his hands through his soft hair and quickly realized that he had forgotten his false ears. He then quickly ran back up to the bedroom and grabbed his ears and tail off the dresser before running back down the stairs, trying to put them on as he did. He then stopped in the entry way to fix his ears and get them on straight; once satisfied, he finally opened the door and began his fast paced walk to school.

By the time Ritsuka got to the school building, he pulled out his cell phone to check the time and saw that he actually still had fifteen minutes before the first bell rang. He was then finally able to take a moment and catch his breath and he leaned against the brick wall that ran around the perimeter of the school building. He then decided that he might as well use this time to try and get started on his new research project from Saiyuri. He flipped open the small phone that was still clasped in his hand and dialed a few numbers.

" _Hello?"_

"Hey Yamato."

" _Hey Ritsuka-kun! How are you doing?"_

"I'm fine; I have had a lot going on though, which is actually what I'm calling you about."

" _Ok Ritsuka, what can I do for you?"_

"Well I was wondering if you and Kouya would have some time to talk later this afternoon."

" _Yeah we are free today, do you want to meet us somewhere or come over?"_

"Let's meet at the café that you took me to after we first met."

" _Ok, what time?"_

"Well I am supposed to have class until four but I am going to skip cram school, so let's meet there at two o'clock after regular classes are over."

" _Ok Ritsuka; Kouya and I will be there."_

"Thanks Yamato."

" _Anytime Ritsuka."_

*click*

Ritsuka then flipped the phone closed and put it back into his pocket before heading up to the classroom as he heard the first bell rang. As he walked through the halls he slowly began to realize that none of the other students were even giving him a second look. This was something completely foreign to him; he was so used to people making small whispers and gestures as he passed by but today it was like no one even saw him or remembered that he had come to school not too long ago with no ears. He then finally arrived at his classroom and did his best to brush off the weird way that the other students were ignoring him. When he went to push open the classroom door he was stopped by the faint sound of laughter; he looked all around him but saw no one and assumed that he was hearing things and then proceeded into the classroom. He silently made his way to his seat right as the final bell and all the other students scrambled to find their seats as well.

The rest of the school day was rather uneventful and actually seemed to go by quickly to Ritsuka. It seemed like no time at all before the final bell was ringing and all the students were filing out of the room. Ritsuka was the last the gather his things and get up from his seat as he always was. On his way out of the classroom he stopped in front of his teacher's desk, tucking his hands tightly into the pockets of his sweatshirt.

"Hey Sensei…"

"Is there something I can do for you Ritsuka-kun?" His teacher then looked up from her papers with a smile that he hadn't seen from her in quite some time.

"I was just wondering why everyone was acting so strangely today."

"What do you mean?"

"Well after what happened last week I thought the other students would at least still be whispering things about me but everyone has been acting like nothing happened." Shinonome then gave Ritsuka a rather perplexed expression at his odd statement.

"I'm sorry Ritsuka-kun…I don't follow you. What happened last week?" Ritsuka was now equally confused by the fact that his teacher had seemingly forgotten all about him showing up to school without ears. He then again heard a faint giggle that was seemingly coming from nowhere and that's when something finally clicked in his brain. He quickly tried to recover the conversation by putting on a smile.

"Oh um never mind Sensei, it was nothing really."

"Are you sure everything is ok Ritsuka?"

"Yes I promise Sensei." Shinonome then gave her favorite student a very relieved smile.

"Ok." Ritsuka then returned her smile and continued walking toward the door. "Oh and Ritsuka, make sure you tell Yukio and Yayoi that I said hello the next time you see them." Ritsuka then turned his head around to smile widely at his teacher.

"Will do."

Ritsuka then exited the room and made his way toward the main entrance of the building. Once he stepped outside and made sure he was outside of the large gate he let out a long sigh before continuing to walk towards the café where he was meeting the Zero girls. After only just beginning his walk, he subtly looked all around him to make sure that there was no one else around him.

"I didn't know that you were going to be watching me this closely Saiyuri." His statement was met with that small familiar girlish giggle.

"Well I wanted to make sure you were alright." Ritsuka was finally starting to get used to the odd sensation of hearing the girl's voice either surround him or seem to be whispering right in his ear. As he continued to speak with the hidden girl, he never stopped walking and gave the appearance that he was talking to himself, not wanting to make any possible passersby aware of her presence.

"Well I am fine."

"I can see that." Ritsuka then walked in silence for a moment before speaking up once again.

"Hey Saiyuri…"

"Yes Ritsuka?"

"How did you know about what happened last week at my school? And why did you erase everyone's memory of it?" The girl let out another small laugh before answering.

"Well the night that Sasuke and Reiki showed up on my doorstep, they told me all about their battle with you and how you handed them their asses on a silver platter and I was immediately fascinated with you. So the next morning, I decided to follow you and that was the day you forgot your false ears. I thought it was kind of funny at first but after you went into your classroom I could hear some of the other children saying awful things about you and I didn't think it was right, so I took care of it for you." Ritsuka couldn't help but to let out a small chuckle at this.

"Well…serves them right then. But…I still can't have you going around erasing everyone's memories; somebody is bound to notice something eventually."

"Ok Ritsuka, I promise I won't tamper with your classmates' memories anymore."

"Thank you; Now I'm headed to meet some friends that used to attend the academy and they are very keen so I think it's best if you don't shadow me."

"Aww you're no fun!" Ritsuka could tell that she was just being playful and laughed at her pouty response.

"You will survive."

"Yeah I suppose I will. I really should get back to babysitting Sasuke and Reiki anyway; the last time they tried one of those spells of yours, they almost blew up my barn." Ritsuka then began to laugh loudly as he imagined the determined red head and his Sentouki trying and failing at the new spells.

"Yeah you might want to make sure they are still alive."

"Yeah; well good luck Ritsuka, I'll be seeing you soon." Ritsuka then let out a small scoff.

"Yeah but I'm sure I won't be seeing you." This made the girl's laughter completely surround the boy.

"You are finally starting to catch on Ritsuka." Then with one last giggle she was gone.

Ritsuka then continued his walk in silence until he arrived in front of the small café just on the outskirts of downtown. He walked up to the small outdoor patio and saw the female duo already seated at a table talking amongst themselves. He then calmly approached the table with a smile.

"Hey Yamato, hey Kouya." The blonde then whipped around in her chair with a huge grin at the sound of his small voice, while Kouya gave the boy a small friendly wave.

"Hi Ritsuka! It's so nice to see you!"

"It's good to see you too Yamato."

"Please, have a seat." Ritsuka did as he was told and pulled out one of the empty seats at the table and promptly took his seat. "Would you like anything to drink Ritsuka?"

"No thank you, I'm fine."

"Ok then. So…There was something you wanted to talk to us about?" Ritsuka's attitude then shifted to a much more serious one and he decided it was best to just cut right to the chase.

"Yes…I am looking for information on a fighting unit called Fearless." This statement caused both girls to gain very serious expressions and Kouya was very quick to inquire further.

"Why are you looking for information about Fearless?" Ritsuka was a little put off by Kouya's slightly cold and scary tone but he knew he had to try and come up with a convincing lie.

"Um…I just came across the name while at the academy training one day and I wanted to know more about them. I tried to dig into the academies files, but I was never able." Kouya then looked over to her Sacrifice with a tense expression and Ritsuka could tell that they were trying to decide whether to tell him what they knew or not. After a short moment Yamato gave Kouya an approving nod to let her know that she could answer the boy's questions.

"What do you want to know about them Ritsuka?"

"Well, as much as possible honestly."

"Well Ritsuka…While Yamato and I were still students at the academy under Nagisa, everyone always heard the rumors about Fearless. Nagisa and Ritsu were always talking about them; according to them, they were the best unit to ever come from the academy. Every one of the students saw them as idols…they were everything that Ritsu told us a perfect unit should be: bonded, strong, obedient, adaptable, and most importantly undefeated."

"Wow…they sound pretty impressive."

"Yes…they were." Kouya's tone then made an unexpected shift to a very sad one.

"Were…?" Kouya was silent for a moment as her face began to grow bright red. Yamato quickly noticed this and began gently rubbing her back in an attempt to comfort her and decided to continue on for her.

"I'm sorry Ritsuka…this is hard for both of us but for Kouya especially; she looked up to fearless ever since she was a small child." Kouya then cut back in after she was able to get control of the rage building inside her.

"It happened about two years ago…we got called to Ritsu's office and he asked if we would like a chance to actually meet them. I…I couldn't believe it, me…meeting the infamous Fearless, it was something I never thought to even be possible considering at the time they were already in their thirties, off living their own lives and were more of a legend around the academy. So we obviously jumped at the opportunity but that's when that asshole told us the details…he told us that they had gone rogue and that they were out running around looking for battles against younger less experienced units just for fun. He told us that…we were to apprehend them alive or dead." Ritsuka was in shock at this story; he had no idea how well known Fearless was and he really had no idea that Kouya looked up to them so much.

"What did you do?" Kouya then clenched her fists tightly as she remembered everything that happened that day.

"That was the first time I stood up to Ritsu…I told him to go fuck himself. We refused to accept the mission; I didn't believe a word he said about them and there was no way in hell I was going to actually try to face them…even if I wanted to, I knew we were no match for them."

"So neither one of you thinks that Fearless was actually doing that?"

"No…I know they didn't do any of that crap that Ritsu said."

"How can you be sure Kouya?"

"Because…I might not have ever met them or known them but I knew everything about their battle style, their morals, even how strong their bond was to each other; it always showed in the way they battled. They would never go around hunting innocent kids for reason."

"Well…Surely Ritsu sent someone else after them then."

"Yes he did…" Kouya then fell completely silent and looked down into her lap as if she couldn't find a way to bring the words up and out. Yamato then placed a small hand on top of one of Ritsuka's and gave him a very solemn, slightly apologetic expression and he knew that something bad was coming.

"Ritsuka….after we turned Ritsu down…he sent Seimei and Nisei." Ritsuka's eyes then grew wide and a furious flame of anger quickly began to build inside him; he hated that Seimei was still finding ways to hurt him even from beyond the grave.

"Damn…Yamato, do you know if they were successful?"

"Yes, they were able to capture Fearless." Ritsuka's stomach was now tied in knots at the question he was afraid to ask.

"Did Seimei capture them…alive?"

"All we know is that they were alive when they were captured and they were taken directly to Ritsu and Nagisa. They haven't been seen or heard from since then and to this day no one knows why Ritsu really wanted them, not even Seimei knew. But whatever the reason, it must have been important."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well the entire school went into lock down the moment that Beloved arrived with Fearless; none of the students knew why we were in lock down, except us. We were able to sneak out of our room to investigate but we didn't get very far until the guards caught us; all we were able to see when we got to Ritsu's office was Fearless both on their knees in his office…and there was blood on the floor and on Ritsu's hands. Then we overheard him order them to be locked down in the lab and that was the last we ever heard of Fearless."

Their conversation was then stopped cold by the extremely sudden appearance of huge dark storm clouds that quickly filled the sky with darkness and large bolts of lightning. Things then went from odd to extremely bad when all of a sudden there came a deafening clap of thunder that shattered all of the glassware on all the tables in the café. Kouya quickly latched onto Yamato to protect her from the shards of glass while Ritsuka threw his arms quickly in front of his face in defense. The blonde then huddled in closer to her Sentouki as she looked all around panicked.

"Kouya what's going on?!"

"I-I don't know." They all three then heard a loud yet faint high pitched scream somewhere off in the distance. Ritsuka then immediately knew what was going on and began to panic as well.

"Kouya, Yamato! You guys should go home. Thank you so much for talking to me and I promise I will give you a call later, but right now you need to leave." His tone was audibly hurried and shaky so both girls gave him a quick silent nod before quickly getting up and walking away from the café, Yamato still tucked safely under Kouya's arms.

Ritsuka then looked up into the sky and watched as the clouds grew more violent and knew that he had to do something. He then quickly got up and ran as fast as he could away from the café and toward a small pocket of dense trees that was only a block away. He was running so fast that it was only a minute or two before he arrived in a small clearing amongst the trees where he finally stopped and began calling franticly in all directions.

"Saiyuri! Please calm down! Stop all this! I told you not to follow me!" His screams were only met with furious cracks of lightning and booms of thunder. "Saiyuri please!"

With that last plea, a large bolt of lightning struck a tree only a few yards away from him forcing him off his feet and into a tree behind him. He was now really getting scared and knew that he had to find a way to calm her down before she started going on a full rampage. He was so focused on calming the furious girl down that he didn't even notice that he had been calling to Soubi the entire time. The next thing he knew, the clouds were beginning to wane and the lightning had stopped all together. He then stumbled to his feet and was quickly met with the sight of his tall Sentouki holding onto the small girl by the collar of her shirt so that she was completely off the ground, kicking and squirming desperately trying to get free; Ritsuka then could not have been more relieved to see his Sentouki.

"Soubi put me down now!"

"Not until you calm down." Ritsuka then rushed over to where Soubi was standing with Saiyuri in hand.

"Soubi, thank you for coming but you can put her down, I think she has calmed down a little bit." Ritsuka then shot her a stern gaze to ensure that she did in fact calm down.

"Ok." Soubi then gently placed the girl back down onto feet and she was quick to brush herself off and take a couple of very deep breaths before addressing the small boy in front of her.

"Ritsuka…I'm sorry. I know you told me not to follow you but I just couldn't help it, if those girls knew anything I needed to hear it for myself….but I didn't expect to learn so much. I guess I let my emotions get the better of me slightly."

"Slightly?" The girl then blushed slightly, now embarrassed at her outburst.

"Ok…a lot. I'm sorry…I hope you are ok…" Ritsuka couldn't stay mad for very long and wrapped his arms gently around the small blonde.

"It's ok Saiyuri, I'm sure that was all very hard to hear so I understand why you are upset and I am ok; but from now on you need to learn to control your anger. If you really want to find out what happened to your parents then things might get worse and you need to be prepared for that."

"I know…." Her voice was now consumed by sadness and it was heart wrenching for Ritsuka to hear so he released her from his arms and gave her a small grin.

"But don't give up hope yet. As of now we know they were alive when they were captured and knowing Nagisa, there is a good chance that they may still be alive and at the academy somewhere." Saiyuri then began to try and be optimistic and returned the boys smile.

"Yeah, you're right Ritsuka. Thank you." There was then a small silence before Soubi tried to move things along.

"So Saiyuri, judging from this little outburst I assume Ritsuka has gotten more than enough information, so what is our next step in this plan." She was silent for a moment to gather her thoughts before replying.

"Well…I think I need a little while to myself to process all this and fine tune the next step. So let's meet again in the park tonight at nine o'clock and I will give you the details then."

"Ok. Sound good to you Ritsuka?" The boy gave his Sentouki a silent nod and before either one of them could look back to Saiyuri, she had already vanished. Ritsuka then let out a very long sigh before throwing his arms around the tall blonde, burying his face snuggly into him.

"Thank you for coming Soubi…" Soubi then gave a smile as he placed a gentle kiss on the top of his partners head.

"I will always come when you call Ritsuka. Always."

**TBC**


	30. From the Inside

By the time the duo arrived home it was already getting late and the snow was just beginning to fall once again. They both quickly made their way into the house out of the harsh winter cold and promptly took off their coats in the entry way. Soubi then made a bee line for the kitchen as he looked over his shoulder to call to his Sacrifice.

"Are you hungry Ritsuka?" Ritsuka was silent for a moment trying to remember if he had eaten but his growling stomach quickly answered his question for him.

"Yeah."

"Ramen?"

"Yes please."

Ritsuka then quietly walked over to find a seat at the kitchen table. After sitting and making himself comfortable, Ritsuka found himself closely watching the blonde in the kitchen, unable to take his eyes off of him. He never really understood it himself but, Ritsuka loved watching Soubi cook. There was something about how seamlessly graceful each of the blonde's movements were when he was cooking that always left him hypnotized. It was only another few minutes before Ritsuka was snapped out his daydreaming when Soubi slid a large bowl of ramen in front of him.

"Thanks Soubi."

"No problem." The blonde then made his way to the seat opposite Ritsuka with his own bowl. "So, why don't you tell me exactly what you were able to learn today and what got Saiyuri upset enough to almost start a typhoon." Ritsuka took a big bit of his ramen before replying with a calm tone.

"Well…I went and met with Kouya and Yamato and found out that they were still attending the academy when Fearless disappeared."

"Well I'm sure they had some useful information then."

"Yeah they did. Apparently Fearless was somewhat of a legend around the academy and all the students saw them as icons, especially Kouya."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, Kouya talked about them like they were idols. She said that they were everything that a perfect unit should be."

"Well I have only heard faint rumors of them but they did seem like a very strong pair. So what else did you learn then?" Ritsuka then set down his chopsticks and took a deep breath.

"Well it would seem that Ritsu asked Kouya and Yamato to apprehend Fearless." This sparked Soubi's curiosity quite a bit and he too set down his chopsticks to give Ritsuka his full attention.

"I highly doubt they would take such a mission."

"They didn't; Kouya avidly refused. So….Ritsu sent Seimei and Nisei." This caused a very shock expression to cross the blonde's face but one that quickly faded to a slightly agitated one.

"Well that confirms my suspicions." Ritsuka was rightly a little confused and put off by this statement.

"You're suspicions of what exactly?"

"Don't forget Ritsuka…the disappearance of Fearless happened two years ago, right after Seimei faked his death." Ritsuka hadn't ever made that connection until now but he was still confused as to what Soubi was talking about.

"You're right…but I still don't understand."

"Well after I got the news that Seimei had died, I already had a hunch that he had faked it; and even worse, I had a feeling that Ritsu was actually the one behind the whole idea of faking his death so that he could use Seimei and Nisei as his attack dogs and no one would ever see them coming. This information confirms that." Ritsuka's eyes then grew wide in shock at this realization; he would have never thought that Ritsu was behind everything from the very beginning.

"I…I can't believe that…That man really is ruthless…"

"I can't argue that but the fact of the matter is that Seimei is dead now so there is no point in dwelling on the matter right now; our focus is needed for the matter at hand."

"Yeah you're right."

"So I am assuming that Seimei was successful in his capture of Fearless."

"Yes he was. But Kouya said that they were taken to the academy alive. They also said that they were able to catch a glimpse of them while they were in Ritsu's office. They said there was blood on the floor and on Ritsu's hands and then they were ordered to be locked in the labs. That was all they knew."

"Well I can see why Saiyuri was so upset, I'm sure it was hard to hear."

"Yeah but that's why I told her not to follow me."

"Well she isn't very good at listening then; sounds like someone I know." Soubi then shot Ritsuka a playful smile.

"Shut up! I'm not that bad." Ritsuka then couldn't help but laugh as he thought back to all the times he had specifically not listened to Soubi. They both then shared a good laugh together as they finished up their meal. There was then a small silence between the two of them before Soubi decided to ask something that had been on his mind.

"Hey Ritsuka…"

"Yes?"

"I was wondering if you would let me make a memory for you."

"What do you mean?"

"Well I wanted to paint something for you but I need you to model for me." This made Ritsuka blush wildly.

"U-uh...Yeah, I'll model for you." Soubi then gave the boy a big beautiful smile.

"Wait…I don't have to be naked do I?" This made Soubi chuckle slightly.

"No. Not this time anyway."

"W-well okay then." Soubi then stood from the table, grabbing both of their bowls and took them into the kitchen. Ritsuka was still in a slightly embarrassed shock at the idea that Soubi wanted to paint him. He knew how much Soubi loved to paint but he always liked to paint scenery and animals, never realism and definitely not people.

"Hey Soubi…"

"Hmm?"

"Well it's still a while before we have to go meet Saiyuri so…you can start your painting now….if you want." Soubi looked back over his shoulder to see his partner avoiding his gaze with a bright red face.

"Ok. I just finished the dishes so come with me to the studio." Ritsuka then quietly got up from his chair and followed the blonde into his studio. As soon as they arrived in the studio Ritsuka grabbed the small stool from the corner of the room and took a seat in it while Soubi started setting up his easel and getting all his supplies together.

"Oh! Hey Soubi, is there anything in particular you would like for me to wear?"

"Yes actually; I was thinking that your blue coat would look the best, the one with the black fur trim."

"Ok." Ritsuka then shuffled quickly out of the room with a smile on his face to go grab his coat; he had now finally gotten over his embarrassment and was starting to really enjoy this idea. After grabbing his coat from the rack, he slipped it on as he made his way back to the studio where he found Soubi already set up and ready to go. Ritsuka then found his way back to the small stool that was now in the center of the room. As soon as he sat down Soubi looked out from around his easel to size up his model.

"Are you ready?"

"Yeah but is there any way you want me to sit or look…or something?" Soubi couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at this.

"Whatever is comfortable for you is fine with me."

"Ok."

Ritsuka then happily sat in the middle of the room with a small smile on his face and a red tint hopelessly stuck to his cheeks. He soon found his way into a comfortable position and gave Soubi a silent nod to tell him that he was ready. Ritsuka then saw Soubi's smiling face disappear behind the canvas and it wasn't long until he found himself truly enjoying this silence. He quickly found himself lost in his thoughts and happy memories, every now and then catching a glimpse of the blonde as he poked his head out from behind the canvas and then quickly hiding behind it again. In that moment, they both couldn't be happier.

**Meanwhile back at the Kazuka manor….**

Saiyuri was just now arriving home from a very long walk home. She was completely exhausted but the walk had given her plenty of time to clear her head and she was now feeling much better about the entire situation. She let out one last long relieving breath before opening the large front door of the manor.

"Boys, I'm home!" Her call was almost immediately met with a large clashing sound coming from the kitchen. Upon hearing the commotion she quickly ran toward the kitchen to investigate. Saiyuri's jaw almost hit the floor at the scene that was now unfolding in front of her. She immediately saw that Sasuke had the small red head pinned down to the kitchen table with both his large hands around the boys' throat.

"Sasuke! What are you doing!? Let him go!" Her words seemingly fell on deaf ears as they both just continued to growl at each other, never breaking eye contact. Saiyuri quickly began to panic, knowing that Sasuke was much stronger than Reiki and could easily kill him if he so pleased.

"Sasuke! I said stop!" Saiyuri had now raised her voice considerably and her tone was now audibly fierce. This finally caused a slight reaction from Sasuke as he merely averted his gaze from the captive boy beneath him just long enough to shoot Saiyuri a fiery glare from blood red eyes. All this accomplished however, was to royally piss off the small blonde.

"Alright, both of you stop fucking growling right now, you are not dogs! Sasuke get off of him now! Or so help me I will erase so much of your memories that you won't know how to piss straight!" This threat was finally enough to shake Sasuke and he reluctantly released Reiki from his grasp and stepped away from him, while Reiki remained where he was on the table. Only then did Saiyuri notice the large bleeding gash on Sasuke's cheek and the shattered glass on the floor.

"Ok, now what exactly is all this about?" Saiyuri's voice had now reverted to a softer tone but she was still met with a short silence before Reiki spoke up while rubbing his quickly bruising throat.

"We just had an argument."

"It seemed like a little more than that; now spit it out. If you two are going to go around attacking each other in my home, I at least deserve to know why." The red head then let out a small sigh before giving in.

"We were just training earlier and we were doing really well so we decided to actually try and cast one." This statement absolutely shocked Saiyuri.

"Wait, how were you even going to try to cast any spell without a unit to battle? You can't just engage your fighter systems if there isn't an opponent." Reiki then scooted himself down to the end of the large wooden table and let his legs dangle over the edge while averting his gaze straight down to the floor.

"Well…we uh, we went into the barn and we found your simulator."

"You did?! Gah! I really shouldn't leave you two alone here." Saiyuri's tone was now a very irritated one.

"Saiyu, we are really sorry for poking around; it really was an accident. We were just trying to find more room to train and I accidentally tripped over the tractor in the barn and then a section of the back wall popped open and we found it. I'm really sorry." The blonde decided that there was nothing she could do about it now and all she could do was let out a small sigh and try to get the rest of the story.

"Well it's fine. Just please don't use it anymore without my permission."

"Ok."

"How did you two know how to use the battle simulator anyway?"

"Well it is actually almost exactly like the one that Nagisa had for us at the academy so we were already used to how it works."

"Hmm, I see. So judging by the scene I walked into, I take it that your casting didn't go so well."

"No…"

"No? That's it?" Sasuke then decided to cut in to fill Saiyuri in on what really happened.

"We almost had it but Reiki still isn't able to keep control of his energy long enough to cast a spell, so when we went to cast, it backfired."

"Backfired?! But didn't Ritsuka say that that could really hurt one or both of you?"

"Yes."

"Well are you two ok?!"

"Surprisingly, we are fine. We both felt something of a weak static shock but nothing else."

"Well that's a relief but what were you guys literally at each other's throats about?" Reiki then leaped off of the table and shot Sasuke an angry glare.

"Sasuke said that it was all my fault." The taller man let out a sarcastic scoff at this outburst.

"Well it was your fault."

"Shut up! It was not! It was both of our faults!"

"No, if you could get control of your energy better then it wouldn't have happened." This caused the small boy to go flying toward his Sentouki with tightly balled up fists. Saiyuri stopped him however just before he could reach Sasuke by grabbing him firmly by the wrist.

"Reiki just calm down. Fighting like this isn't going to solve anything." The boy let out a low growl as he tried to free himself from her grasp. "Which reminds me, how did you get that cut Sasuke?"

"He got pissed and threw a plate at me. A plate that he will replace by the way."

"Reiki! Why would you do that?" Saiyuri then yanked the boy backwards slightly so that he was farther away from Sasuke before releasing his wrist.

"Because he is an asshole! He said that if a kid like Ritsuka could do it then I should be able to and then he said that the Zeros could probably handle these spells no problem." Saiyuri then let out another long sigh while rubbing the bridge of her nose in frustration.

"Geez…it's like living with two children. Ok listen, Sasuke what you said was mean and uncalled for, Reiki is your Sacrifice and it is your duty to protect him and help him so try to be more understanding."

"Understood."

"Good. Now Reiki, you need to learn how to control your anger. Throwing temper tantrums and throwing things will get you nowhere and you definitely shouldn't be throwing things at your Sentouki, especially when they are my things."

"Fine." The red head then crossed his arms and began pouting like a child while Sasuke calmly lit a cigarette.

"Ok good. Now, I have somewhere to be so I am going to leave you two alone; can you please try and behave yourselves?" Both boys silently nodded in agreement, both of them now acting like children that had just been scolded. "Good. I'll be back later tonight. Oh and Sasuke, please don't smoke in the house."

"Yes ma'am"

"That's better."

The small blonde then made her way back to the front door and quickly noticed that it was much later than she had thought. She then looked over her shoulder to make sure that neither one of her house mates were around before gently knocking three times on a seemingly random spot on the wall in the entry way. This caused the section of wall to pop open slightly revealing that there was actually a secret door placed there. Saiyuri then opened this new door just enough to reach in and pull out a rather plain looking black hooded sweatshirt. She then quickly closed the door and it vanished back into the woodwork. Hoodie in hand, Saiyuri quietly slipped out of the front door and made her way down the long walkway and out past the gates of the estate before slipping the sweatshirt on over her head. Once she had walked a few yards past the gate and was sure she was clear from sight of the manor, Saiyuri swiftly climbed up into a tall tree and perched herself on one of the thick branches.

" _Angels' wings. Carry me safely where ever I may need to go."_

As soon as she had whispered the last words, a pair of large black feathered wings spread out widely from the back of her sweatshirt. She then stood up on the branch and leaped high into the air, then with a few sweeping flaps of her wings, Saiyuri shot off into the distance.

It was only about ten minutes before Saiyuri made a soft landing on the top of a tree in the park where she was meeting Ritsuka and Soubi. Once she landed she gave her shoulders a firm shake and her wings folded themselves up tightly, disappearing back into the black fabric of the sweatshirt. She then quickly made her way down the tree and down onto the ground before walking over to the dimly lit table where her friends were already seated.

"Good evening boys." Ritsuka quickly whipped around with a smile to see his friend that was making a normal entrance for once.

"Hey Saiyuri! Are you feeling any better?" Saiyuri returned his warm smile before approaching the table and taking a seat across from Soubi and Ritsuka.

"Yes, I am feeling much better. Thank you."

"Good. So, have you figured out what it is you want to do next?" Saiyuri's face then made a slight shift from a bubbly happy smile to a much more serious expression.

"Yes. Ritsuka, didn't you say you had friends who still attend the academy as well?"

"Yeah I do."

"Can you trust them?" Ritsuka had now completely shifted into a serious mode.

"Absolutely; with my life."

"Good. What we need now is help from the inside."

"What would you need them to do?"

"Well, I mostly just need them to give me a blue print of the layout of as much of the building as they can. Seeing as they are students there, it shouldn't be that difficult and it wouldn't be out of the ordinary for students to be roaming about the campus. They could really just go about their lives as normal and just take mental notes throughout the day and draw them out once they are back in their dorms." Ritsuka was silent for a moment as he thought about this idea, making sure that is was something that Yuiko and Yayoi could do without getting in trouble, or messing it up.

"Ok, I think they could handle that. Is that all you need them to do?"

"Well…I do actually need something else."

"What is it?"

"I really need them to try and get a look at the files in Ritsu's office and in Nagisa's lab." Soubi saw Ritsuka tense up at this request and he placed an arm tightly around his waist in an attempt to comfort him.

"That's really dangerous Saiyuri. What if they get caught? I won't put my friends in harm's way."

"I know it is dangerous but I need to try and get any information on parents. I need to know if they are still being held at the academy or if they are even still alive." Ritsuka could hear the immense pain in her voice and he was now very conflicted as to what he should do. Then as if he had read his mind, Soubi gently placed Ritsuka's face in one of his large hands and turned it towards him.

"Ritsuka, I know you want to protect your friends and I know you want to help Saiyuri as well; so why don't you let Yuiko and Yayoi decide what they can handle and what they can't? You have always hated it when people decide things for you, so don't decide for your friends." Ritsuka was almost completely overwhelmed at how well Soubi knew him and just how much Soubi really did love him. He now had to fight back the tears threatening to roll down his cheeks.

"You're right Soubi." Ritsuka looked up at Soubi with a glowing smile before turning back to Saiyuri. "Ok Saiyuri, I will talk to them and I will let you know what they will be able to get for you."

"Thank you Ritsuka."

"Don't thank me. You'll have to thank Yuiko and Yayoi."

"Yuiko and Yayoi huh? Well hopefully I will be able to thank them in person one day soon."

"I hope so too; I think you would like them." Saiyuri was now smiling widely at the idea of making more friends. She was now actually feeling like she was truly cared about and that was something that she hadn't felt since she lost her parents.

"If they are friends of yours then I am sure they will be friends of mine." Soubi then noticed Ritsuka let out a small yawn and decided that it was time to go so he calmly stood up from the small picnic table.

"It's getting late Ritsuka." Ritsuka looked up at his tall partner with a pouting frown.

"Fine." Soubi then gave a small smile before picking up his small partner right up from his seat, holding him tightly to his chest. The sight caused a small giggle from Saiyuri as she followed suit and stood from her seat as well.

"You two really are too cute. Let me know if you ever want to come live at my place, it'll give me an excuse to get rid of the two children I'm currently housing." The three of them shared one last good laugh at this before parting ways.

"Bye Ritsuka, Soubi."

"See ya."

"Goodnight Saiyuri-kun"

Saiyuri then made her usual disappearance into the darkness while Soubi began walking toward home with Ritsuka still in his arms.

"Hey Soubi, how do you think Saiyuri always gets around so fast?"

"Who knows."

Soubi and Ritsuka soon arrived back at home safely out of the cold. Once inside Soubi finally set Ritsuka back down onto his feet in the entry way. They both hung up their coats and Ritsuka began making his way towards the stairs to get ready for bed.

"Ritsuka wait, I want to show you something." Ritsuka stopped dead in his tracks and turned around to face his Sentouki.

"Yeah? What is it?"

"Come here." The blonde then extended a hand to his petite partner. Ritsuka happily clasped onto Soubi's large hand and allowed him to lead him into the studio. Once in the studio, Ritsuka saw Soubi's easel standing in the middle of the room with a white sheet draped over it.

"I finished my painting while you were taking a nap earlier."

"You did?" Soubi answered silently with a warm smile before letting go of his lovers hand and walking over to the covered canvas. Ritsuka took a few small steps towards the easel so that he was standing right in front of it, anxiously waiting to see what was hidden underneath the sheet. Soubi then swiftly lifted away the sheet to reveal his painting. Ritsuka immediately blushed wildly at what he saw. It was a wonderful scene of himself sitting atop a small hill leaning against a cherry blossom tree with a beautiful multicolored sunset behind it. He was smiling in the painting and there was a swarm of butterflies swirling all around him. His eyes scanned the entire canvas taking in every detail. He then noticed something different about the petals falling from the cherry blossom tree. He looked closer and noticed that the falling petals came together to spell 'Loveless' as they were being carried away in the wind.

"S-Soubi…it's so beautiful."

"Thank you. This is a memory that I made especially for you. This way you will always know that I am with you always and you are with me always." Ritsuka now couldn't hold back his tears of happiness and he ran over to Soubi, wrapping his arms around him tightly and burying his face into his torso. Soubi then wrapped his own arms around Ritsuka, embracing him tightly. Ritsuka then pulled his face away slightly and looked up into Soubi's deep blue eyes.

"Soubi…thank you, it is incredible. But…"

"But?"

"But I didn't need a memory to know all that…..all I need is you."

**TBC**


	31. Fugitive

The rest of the school week was surprisingly normal and mundane. Ritsuka accidently made the mistake of falling into a comfortable routine of going to school, coming home, having diner, homework then off to bed. This routine was in fact very short lived as the weekend came up on Ritsuka faster than he had anticipated. Before he knew it, he was waking up in Soubi's arms in the early afternoon of Saturday. He opened his eyes slowly and decided to just enjoy the warmth and comfort of Soubi's strong arms for a few minutes longer before sitting up and yawning wide. The sudden wave of cold air from Ritsuka moving caused Soubi to very quickly follow suit, jerking up to a sitting position to make sure that his Sacrifice was still right by his side, safe and sound.

"Good morning Ritsuka." Once assured that his partner was still there, Soubi gave him a warm smile as he stretched his arms high up in the air.

"Morning Sou-chan." Ritsuka happily returned his smile and gently threw his small arms around Soubi's neck and placed a small kiss on his cheek. Soubi then let out a small chuckle before climbing out of bed and giving his whole body one last stretch.

"So, would you like to visit the academy today or wait until tomorrow?"

"We should probably go today; I know Saiyuri is anxious to learn more and I am curious to find out what the rest of her plan is."

"Alright then. I'll go make us some breakfast and then we can get going."

"Ok."

Soubi then walked over to the closet and slipped on a tight black shirt to match his light blue jeans before exiting the bedroom. After Soubi had left, Ritsuka sluggishly made his way out of bed and wobbled his way down the hallway to the bathroom. He decided that he would take a quick shower before breakfast so he reached into the shower to turn on the faucet before slipping out of his large baggy pants and shirt that he had slept in. While he was waiting for the water to get warm, he took a moment to admire himself in the mirror. As he stared at himself, he saw his name printed so clearly across his chest and he noticed that small scattered cracks now covered every letter. He gently traced each one with his fingers and couldn't help but to smile. He had come to truly love this name and everything that it stood for; even though it wasn't normal or perfect, it was his name, a name that he shared with the person that he loved and that was something to be truly happy about. He then moved his hand to run his hair through it uninterrupted. He was now finally getting used to not having his ears and even though he was still a child in age he was beginning to feel like an adult, and he couldn't be happier. He gazed at himself until his image faded away as the hot water began to cover the glass in a thick layer of condensation. The fog was enough to snap him out of his daze and he climbed into the shower and let the warm water wash over him. It was only ten minutes before Ritsuka shut off the water and stepped out of the shower, wrapping a large fluffy towel around his torso and rubbing another ferociously around his head. Once his hair was no longer dripping water, Ritsuka made his way back into the bedroom and slipped on a pair of boxers, his usual pair of tight jeans and a fitted long sleeve shirt. He then headed back down the hallway, stopping by the bathroom again to hang up his wet towel, and then made his way down the stairs and into the kitchen. As soon as he reached the bottom of the stairs, Soubi turned around from the stove with two plates in hand already fully loaded with eggs, bacon and toast.

"Just in time." Soubi then placed both plates down on the table and sat down, followed by Ritsuka.

"Thank you for breakfast Soubi."

"Of course." They both then wasted no time in indulging in their breakfast in a peaceful silence. They were both smiling as they ate, hoping that this comfortable routine would soon be something they could settle permanently into. Despite the blissful moment they were enjoying, the duo finished their food quickly and it wasn't long before Soubi was scooping their plates off the table and carrying them to the sink as he always did. Ritsuka watched on as the tall blonde quickly washed their plates before turning around to face him while leaning rather beautifully against the counter with his arms crossed perfectly.

"So are you ready to go then?" Ritsuka gave a small smile and a subtle blush and simply gave his Sentouki a nod. Soubi then made his way to the entry way to put on his coat with Ritsuka close in toe before they were off on yet another trip to the Seven Moons academy.

After another peaceful drive, they soon arrived at the academy that was again a bustle of students and activity. Soubi soon found a place to park the car and Ritsuka was beginning to get more and more excited just to see his friends again. As soon as the car stopped, Ritsuka quickly made his exit and waited anxiously for Soubi to do the same. He stood somewhat patiently by the driver's side door until he heard a wonderfully bubbly voice call to him from a distance.

"Ritsuka-kun!" Ritsuka quickly whipped around to see his tall pink haired friend waving fervently to him from across the courtyard with her Sentouki smiling and waving right along beside her.

"Yuiko! Yayoi!" Ritsuka's face immediately lit up at the sight and ran over to them leaving Soubi behind. Once he finally reached them, he threw his arms around Yuiko and hugged her tightly.

"Hey I'm here too you know." Ritsuka gave a small chuckle at the sight of Yayoi pouting as he crossed his arms.

"It's good to see you too Yayoi." Ritsuka then released Yuiko from his grasp and turned to wrap his arms around Yayoi, who graciously returned his hug with a smile.

"So what brings you here today Ritsuka-kun?" Ritsuka then released Yayoi to turn and address his pink haired friend.

"Well Soubi and I came to see you guys."

"Oh?! Soubi-san is here too?"

"Yeah, he is just being slow." Ritsuka then felt a large hand placed gently on his shoulder and he looked up into blue eyes.

"Slow am I? You are the one that went running off." Ritsuka simply smiled up at his Sentouki and gave a small laugh.

"Hi Soubi-san!"

"Hello Yuiko-kun, Yayoi-kun." Yuiko then dropped her smile slightly and turned back to Ritsuka.

"So did you just come for a visit or is there something in particular that you need?" Ritsuka then gained a very serious expression before subtly glancing all around him at all the students and teachers wandering about the courtyard.

"Well yes there is something in particular we came to talk to you about but is there somewhere else we can go and talk? Somewhere that's safe."

"Hmmmm…ummm…" After seeing Yuiko struggling to think, Yayoi placed her hand delicately in his and decided to cut in.

"Yes, we can go to the garden. No one ever really goes down there and it's far enough away from any of the school buildings that no one would even know we are there."

"Sounds good; I remember that place, I think it's really pretty anyway so that works."

"Ok."

Soubi and Ritsuka then followed closely behind Yayoi and Yuiko as they led the way down the small gravel path through the foliage that led down to the garden area. Ritsuka still remembered this area from when he first found out that his friends were attending the academy and was sure that it was indeed a safe place to discuss Saiyuri's plan. After walking along the path for a few minutes, they all arrived into the small clearing in the trees where the large wooden gazebo sat. They made their way down the slight decline where the path ended and filed into the gazebo before each pair sat opposite each other on the benches that lined the inside of the gazebo. Once they were all settled in Yayoi quickly got straight to the point.

"So, what is it that you need to talk with us about Ritsuka?" Ritsuka took a deep breath and was silent for a moment before answering.

"Well I have a favor to ask of you."

"Ok, what is it?"

"I need a blueprint of sorts of the academy. I need you guys to try and draw me an outline of as much of the entire campus that you can, as detailed as you can." This was not at all what Yayoi was expected and he and Yuiko both became rather puzzled at this.

"Why do you need something like that?"

"It's for…a friend. The less you know the better." Yayoi was a little hesitant at that answer but he trusted Ritsuka enough to be content with it.

"Well that's something that we could probably do fairly easily, but why can't Soubi draw one up for you since he used to attend the academy?" Soubi then cut in to answer this himself with a rather solemn expression and a hint of sadness in his tone.

"In all the time I attended the academy, I only ever really saw two rooms: Ritsu's office and his private room. So I wouldn't be of much help." Yayoi picked up on Soubi's gloomy tone and immediately moved on from that subject.

"Ok, well aren't you friends with the Zero girls too? Why can't they help?" Soubi again took it upon himself to answer this question.

"Well the Zero girls were never technically students, they were Nagisa's creations and were really only used for missions so they never really attended lessons here. They were allowed to live off campus as long as they lived within ten miles."

"I see. Well then yes, we will help you with that. Yuiko and I should be able to get you a blueprint drawn up relatively quickly." Ritsuka was extremely relieved to hear that his friends were so willing to help him and he couldn't help but to smile wide.

"Thank you Yayoi."

"No problem Ritsuka. Is that all that you needed?" Ritsuka was silent for a moment and his smile quickly faded.

"Well…there was actually one other thing."

"Well what is it?" Ritsuka then shot Yayoi a very serious gaze.

"We need information…" Yayoi's curiosity was now fully peaked and his ears were now pointing straight up.

"Could you be a little more specific?"

"We need information that is being held in Ritsu's office and in Nagisa's lab." This truly shocked both Yuiko and Yayoi.

"What?! That's far too dangerous Ritsuka! If we got caught sneaking around in those places there is no telling what kind of punishment we could face."

"I know it's dangerous and I understand if you don't want to do it." Yayoi then let out a long sigh and tried to calm down from the initial shock of the request.

"It's not that we don't want to help you Ritsuka but it is impossible anyway. Ritsu is a recluse and almost never leaves his office since his blindness; and Nagisa has been on full lock down in her lab for some reason." Ritsuka let out a small giggle at that last statement.

"She is still in lockdown?"

"Still? How did you know about that?"

"Well long story short, she kidnapped me a while back and tried to kill me so she could pair Soubi with another Sacrifice. When Ritsu found out he hacked her budget and put her in lockdown." Yuiko then suddenly burst out in near tears at this.

"She tried to kill you Ritsuka?! Are you okay?!"

"It was a while ago, I was fine. Don't worry Yuiko, I was rescued quickly." Ritsuka then tried to give her the most reassuring smile that he could which calmed her down slightly.

"Ok Ritsuka-kun…" Yayoi then slipped her hand back into his and tried to comfort her before readdressing Ritsuka.

"We can get you your blueprint Ritsuka, but I'm afraid that getting the additional information just won't work."

"I understand and thank you again for your help." Ritsuka then slowly stood from his place feeling a little disappointed that he wouldn't be able to do more for Saiyuri, but he ultimately knew that this was a possibility and he couldn't blame his friends one bit for their decision. After standing, Ritsuka took a few steps toward leaving the gazebo but his hand was delicately grabbed by Yuiko.

"Ritsuka-kun, wait…" Ritsuka immediately stopped and turned right back around and sat back in his place, wanting to give his friend his full attention.

"What is it Yuiko?"

"It actually wouldn't be impossible to get the information you're looking for." This quickly alarmed Yayoi and he began to panic slightly, knowing that she would do almost anything for Ritsuka.

"Y-Yuiko, what are you talking about?!" Ritsuka was now also very intrigued and tried to dig delicately deeper into her statement.

"Yeah, what do you mean Yuiko?"

"Well…Nagisa Sensei is on lockdown but she has to leave her lab to teach the class for the first year Sacrifices and since we got pushed up to advanced classes, my free period is during the class she teaches. The class is an hour and fifteen minutes long, so that is more than enough time for me to sneak into her lab, get whatever you need and be gone before she gets back." Ritsuka was a little surprised that Yuiko had already put so much thought into this idea and was so confident; confidence was never something she was particularly good at.

"That's a really smart plan Yuiko. Do you really think you could pull it off without anyone seeing you?" Yuiko then gave Ritsuka a big warm smile.

"Of course I can. Our dorm is in the same wing as her lab anyway so it wouldn't be that out of the ordinary for me to be around there." Yayoi was now gritting his teeth at the idea. He couldn't deny that it was a pretty solid plan and he knew she could do it, but he still wasn't completely comfortable with putting his Sacrifice in a situation like that. He then turned to her with a sour face hating to admit that she was on to something.

"Well…that is indeed a fine plan Yuiko but how do you suppose we go about getting into Ritsu's office?" Yuiko was then silent for a short moment as she tried to think hard on that problem.

"Well, I do have an idea…but I don't know if you will approve Yayoi." Yayoi was now genuinely scared as to what this plan could be.

"W-what is it…?" Yuiko then turned away from him to face Ritsuka to tell him her idea.

"Ritsuka, do you remember Breathless?" Ritsuka was actually slightly happy to hear that name. Even though Breathless had tried to capture him twice, he actually liked them both outside of battle.

"Yeah I do."

"Well I am good friends with both Ai and Midori but we don't really see each other very often, so I don't think Ritsu Sensei knows that we are friends."

"Ok….I don't understand how that helps one of you get into Ritsu's office…"

"Well normally Ritsu Sensei almost never leaves his office unless there is something big going on, but on the weekends and holidays most of the security officers are off duty so Ritsu Sensei tends to any fights or rule breaking. So I was thinking that maybe Yayoi and Ai could start a fake fight and that would cause Ritsu to leave his office to come break it up, then I could sneak into his office." Yayoi did not like the sound of this idea at all and suddenly shot up from his seat in defiance.

"No! Yuiko you can't do that! I can't risk you getting caught; I could never forgive myself if something ever happened to you…" Soubi then finally decided to step in and he stood from his place and took a few steps to be standing right in front of the long haired boy that was now shaking and fighting back tears. Soubi then gently placed a hand on his shoulder and gave a warm smile.

"Yayoi…you have grown to be truly great Sentouki. I know that your deepest strongest instinct is to protect your Sacrifice at all costs but you also have to trust Yuiko and her own strength. You can't always keep her from everything and hide her away from the world to protect her, but the important thing is that you will always be there to protect her if the need arises." Yayoi was truly moved by Soubi's words and finally let a few small tears run down his cheeks.

"You're right Soubi-san…." He then turned to Yuiko and took both of her hands in his. "I do trust you Yuiko and I know you are strong and can handle yourself. If you think you can do this, then I am behind you one hundred percent." The pink haired girl then stood from her place and wrapped her arms around her Sentouki's waist pulling him in for a tender kiss that made him blush wildly.

"Thank you Yayoi. I love you and you are the best Sentouki I could ever ask for." Ritsuka and Soubi both let their friends have a moment before Ritsuka cut their scene short.

"So, you really think you're up for this Yuiko?" She then gave him a big smile and a thumbs up.

"Yup! No problem."

"I'm glad." Yayoi then quickly interrupted.

"Oh! Ritsuka, what exactly is it we are looking for anyway?"

"Well like I said, I can't tell you too much but…we are looking for anything in any of their files pertaining to a unit by the name of Fearless."

"Hmm…never heard of them but at least we know what to look for now." Yayoi then gave Ritsuka a genuine smile before taking Yuiko by the hand once again. "Well…you two wait here and we will go give this a shot."

"Ok. Please be safe, both of you."

"Will do."

With that, Yayoi and Yuiko made their way back up the gravel path leaving their friends to sit and wait in the gazebo. They walked hand in hand with determined smiles on their faces until they reached the courtyard and Yayoi stopped suddenly and turned to his Sacrifice.

"Are you ready Yuiko?"

"Mmhmm. Let me go talk to Ai first and let her know that we are faking so she doesn't cry or try to kill you something." Yayoi couldn't help but to let out a small laugh at this.

"Ok." Yuiko then scanned the crowd until she spotted the short pink haired girl and then sprinted off to meet her. Yayoi watched on as Yuiko pulled her and Midori aside and whispered something to them. He was slightly relieved to see that they both gave her a smile and a nod before she came running back towards him.

"Ok, they said that they will play along whenever we are ready."

"Alright. You stay here until Ritsu comes outside then slip in the side door over there. I will keep him out here as long as I can but try to be as fast as possible and if anything at all goes wrong just call to me and I will be there."

"Ok." Yuiko then leaned down to give him a small kiss on the cheek for luck. Yayoi then put on a very determined grin before taking a few bold steps out into the very middle of the courtyard.

"Hey you!" He fully extended his arm and pointed directly towards the pink haired girl on the edge of the courtyard. Ai whipped her head around in all directions and then silently pointed to herself. "Yeah you Ai!"

"What do you want four eyes?!" Ai called to him from her place with a coy tone.

"Ha! I may have four eyes but at least I can protect my Sacrifice! My record makes you look like a pathetic first year that can't even master simple two syllable spells!" Ai then stormed her way to the middle of the courtyard to be face to face with Yayoi while the other students began to gather around the commotion.

"You silly boy. You may have a good record here at school but you haven't even been on a single real mission. Midori and I have been on ten! You are the one that acts like a first year!"

"Yeah right. How many of those missions were successful huh?" Ai then crossed her arms with a frown.

"That's none of your business loser."

"That's what I thought. I feel sorry for Midori to have such a Sentouki." Ai then shot him a fiery glare and took a few large steps backwards.

"That's it! Why don't we just settle this once and for all then?!"

"Bring it on! I can take you all by myself!"

"Fine then! Midori!" There was then a short pause in the yelling as Midori came running to be by Ai's side. "I declare this to be a battle of sp-" Her words were quickly cut off as she was jerked completely off the ground by the arm.

"That's enough from both of you."

"R-Ritsu Sensei…." Ai was now cowering in his grasp as she spoke and Yayoi took this chance to give a quick glance over his shoulder to see that Yuiko was no longer where he left her. Once he knew that she was gone, he then knew that he had to keep Ritsu there as long as he could.

"What is the meaning of all this Yayoi? And where is your Sacrifice?"

"Uh, um…I just thought that Ai could use some….constructive criticism on her battle technique; and I sent Yuiko to our dorm, I didn't want her to be here if Breathless became violent or anything." Ritsu then rather roughly set Ai back down onto her feet.

"Breathless, you know that it is clearly against school rules to engage in unauthorized battle on campus."

"I-I know Sensei…It's just that Yayoi started it."

"I don't care who started it, the rules are absolute. Honestly, you should like a child." Ritsu's tone was now icy cold and extremely scary.

"I apologize Sensei. It won't happen again." Ai quickly bowed in respect completely forgetting that the man she was bowing to was blind.

"I sincerely hope that it won't. You are seniors now and I expect much more of you."

"Understood Sensei." Ritsu then turned back to Yayoi feeling sure that Ai understood her mistake.

"Yayoi, I also expect much more from one of my top students than to go around instigating pointless squabbles."

"I am sorry Sensei; I just let my emotions get the better of me."

"Well…normally you would both be subject to severe punishment for this but seeing as this is the first offense for both of you, I will only give you this verbal warning."

"Thank you Sensei." Ritsu then let out a gruff scoff before turning and walking back toward the front entrance of the building. This made Yayoi panic slightly and he quickly whipped completely around to look for Yuiko. He let out a long relieved sigh when he saw her standing at the opposite end of the courtyard with a smile giving him a thumbs up. He then gave Ai and Midori a sly smile before running off towards Yuiko. As soon as he reached her, he threw his arms around her and hugged her tightly.

"I'm glad you are ok Yuiko. That was really fast though, I am impressed." She then gave him a big smile with a slight blush on her cheeks.

"I told you I could do it."

"So then you were able to find something?"

"Yeah, it wasn't much though."

"Well it's better than nothing. Let's get back to Ritsuka." Yayoi then took Yuiko by the hand once again and led her back down the gravel path. As soon as they emerged out of the foliage, they both completely froze when they saw Ritsuka straddling Soubi's lap in the gazebo with his arms wrapped around his neck, locking their lips tightly together. After getting over the initial shock of the sight, they slowly walked over to the gazebo and Yayoi gave a loud cough to alert them of their presence. Upon hearing it, Ritsuka immediately almost jumped off of Soubi and his whole face went bright red.

"Oh uh…hey, uh…sorry about that…" Yuiko then let out a small laugh at her very embarrassed friend.

"It's ok Ritsuka-kun." Yuiko then entered the gazebo and took a seat followed by Yayoi.

"So how did it go? We heard a lot of commotion."

"It was kind of fun sneaking into Sensei's office actually."

"Well that's good Yuiko, but were you able to find anything?" Yuiko then became slightly more serious and her expression had a hint of sadness to it.

"Well I went through his files and I was able to find something but it wasn't very much."

"Well something is better than nothing I suppose. What did you find?"

"It was weird actually, he had a whole file titled 'Fearless' but it only had two pieces of paper in it. The first was an apprehension report and it said that they were being charged with harboring a fugitive. Then it said that Beloved was sent to apprehend them and that was it."

"Harboring a fugitive? That's interesting. What was the second paper?"

"It was an incident report. It basically said that Fearless was apprehended after strong resistance and minimal damage to both units. It said that they were given a preliminary interrogation that yielded no information and then they were sent to be held in the R&D labs for more interrogation."

"That was it?"

"Yeah." Ritsuka was then silent for a short moment while he took in all this information.

"Well it's a start and I'm betting that there will be more information in Nagisa's lab. Do you still think you will be able to do that Yuiko?"

"Yeah no problem. It'll probably be easier than sneaking into Ritsu Sensei's office actually."

"Well that's good. Thank you so much for this Yuiko." Yuiko then gave him a big smile that Ritsuka was happy to return.

"Of course Ritsuka. I'm not sure what you need all this for but I am just happy I can be useful to you; and I hope that Nagisa Sensei gets what is coming to her for trying to hurt you." Ritsuka's smile then turned into a slightly sinister one.

"I have a feeling that she definitely has something coming her way." This caused smiles all around and the atmosphere almost instantly lightened. They were all truly enjoying the moment until a loud bell rang throughout the campus that caused Yayoi to quickly stand from his seat.

"Well that's the curfew bell so we have to get back to our dorm." Yuiko then stood as well to be right by his side.

"Aww I hate curfew!" Ritsuka and Soubi then both stood and gave small chuckles at the pouting pink haired girl. Ritsuka then stepped forward to give Yuiko one last hug.

"It's ok Yuiko, we will be back soon. We still need that blueprint and information, so I am sure we will be seeing you again very soon." Yuiko then gladly squeezed him back with a smile.

"Ok. It was really good to see you Ritsuka-kun; you too Soubi-san." Soubi gave the girl a gentle pat on the head before turning to give the same to her Sentouki.

"It is always good to see the both of you. Make sure you keep taking good care of each other." They both gave Soubi a firm nod before briskly walking back up the gravel path and out of sight.

"You ready to go Ritsuka?"

"Mmhmm."

Soubi and Ritsuka then leisurely made their own way up the path and back to the car. They both climbed in and began the drive home once again. The drive was now becoming completely normal to Ritsuka, so much so that he had almost every turn and landmark memorized. Ritsuka wasn't exactly happy that this drive had become so normal but he was thankful that the more they drove this route, the shorter and shorter the trip seemed. This time it seemed like only five minutes before they were pulling up in front of their home. No matter how long or short the drive seemed however, Ritsuka was always so happy to pull up in front of the beautiful house that he was lucky enough to call home.

"Ritsuka? Are you coming?" Ritsuka then suddenly realized that he had become completely lost in his thoughts and had been staring blankly out the window of the car. Once he came back to reality he gave Soubi a small chuckle before climbing out of the car to join him.

"Sorry, I was daydreaming." Ritsuka then heard an unmistakable giggle coming from across the street and he turned around with a small smile. He was finally getting used to the constant shadowing by his new friend. "You don't always have to be so mysterious you know. You could always come knock on the door or something like a normal person." Ritsuka's playful tone was met again with laughter as it usually was.

"Well normally I would but seeing as I am in hiding right now and trying not to be seen with you, I figure it best not to just come waltzing up to your door."

"Alright good point. Well I am guessing you came to check in on how our visit went?"

"You got it!"

"Are you going to just continue hiding in the trees or would you like to go to the park or something?"

"Well I actually need to try and keep it short tonight; I really can't leave Sasuke and Reiki alone for too long anymore." Soubi was a little intrigued by this and decided to inquire into it.

"What do you mean Saiyuri?"

"Well to make a long story short, the two idiots tried casting one of those weird spells of yours and it backfired."

"Backfired? Are they alright?"

"Yeah they are ok. They said it just gave them some sort of static shock or something. So I just don't want to leave them alone to destroy my house or anything."

"I see. Well I am glad they are alright; they are very lucky that they weren't hurt."

"Yeah, they are still idiots though. But anyway, how did it go Ritsuka?"

"Well my friends said that they will be able to draw a blue print no problem and Yayoi was in art club so it should be good and he said they should have it pretty soon."

"That's great! Anything else?"

"Yes actually, Soubi was right when he said I should let my friends decide what they can and can't do. Yuiko was happy to take on the challenge and was actually able to get into Ritsu's office while we were there." There was then a short silence before a series of small whooshing sounds that Ritsuka could now recognize as the sound of Saiyuri moving through the darkness; so he wasn't surprised this time when her voice sounded much closer than before.

"Really?! Did she find anything?"

"Yes. She found out that your parents were being charged with harboring a fugitive and confirmed that Beloved was the apprehending unit. According to the documents, they were brought in after putting up quite a fight and interrogated by Ritsu but gave up no information. They were then sent to the labs for further interrogation. That was all she was able to get out of Ritsu's office." Saiyuri was again silent for a moment before speaking again.

"Harboring a fugitive….that must mean me…" Ritsuka hated hearing the sadness dripping in Saiyuri's voice and he did his best to stay strong for her sake.

"It's not your fault Saiyuri, don't give up hope yet. Yuiko said that she will have no problem getting into Nagisa's lab and I am sure that that is where we will find all the information on your parents."

"You're right Ritsuka, I won't give up just yet." Ritsuka was happy to hear the tone in her voice slowly begin to return to normal.

"Good."

"Well I really should get going. Make sure that you tell your friends thank you for me and I still hope to meet them soon. Have a good night boys!"

"You too Saiyuri."

Ritsuka then picked up the faint sound of the girl trailing off into the distance and he turned to Soubi with a rather sad expression.

"Soubi…Do you think her parents are still alive?" Soubi gently wrapped the small boy in his arms and nuzzled his nose into his thick black hair lovingly.

"I can't say for sure but if they are, we will find them and we will rescue them."

"But what if they aren't…"

"Well then…Saiyuri will at least find out what happened and get the closure she needs; and you know what?" Ritsuka then gave a small sniffle from the cold and pulled his face from Soubi's chest to look up at him directly.

"What?"

"No matter what happens Saiyuri will be ok and she will be happy again….and that is all thanks to you." Soubi then gently lifted Ritsuka off his feet and began carrying him towards the house as he snuggled firmly into his chest.

"I love you Soubi."

**TBC**


	32. R&R

The next morning Soubi was pleasantly awakened by the gentle warmth of the sunshine against his face. His peaceful feeling was short lived however as he quickly realized that his lover was no longer in the bed with him. He looked over to the clock on the night stand as he wiped his eyes ad noticed that it was already one o'clock in the afternoon. He then thought that maybe Ritsuka was simply downstairs, so he made his way rather sluggishly out of the bed and down the hallway towards the stairs. As he descended the stair case he could hear that the whole house was quiet and there was no sign of Ritsuka anywhere. Once on the first level of their home, Soubi walked into the kitchen upon noticing a small note placed on the kitchen table. He let out a long yawn before picking up the piece of paper and reading it over.

Soubi,

Went out. Be back later.

Love Ritsuka

"Hmm, guess I'm on my own then."

Soubi then placed the small note back in its place on the table. He was slightly disappointed that his Sacrifice was away though; he was actually looking forward to a quiet relaxing Sunday alone with his partner. Never the less he thought that he might as well do his best to enjoy his Sunday so he decided to head into the studio and work on one of his many unfinished paintings. He made his way into his studio and pulled out his small bag that contained his paints before sitting down in front of a small canvas that was covered in colorless outlines of butterflies. He gazed deeply at the canvas for a moment before finally choosing a deep purple paint to start with. Once his first color was selected he began filling in scattered portions of the painting until he found his rhythm and became lost in his art. After twenty minutes or so of studious work, Soubi was suddenly startled by a small ticking sound against the large window of the studio. He stopped to listen for a moment but heard nothing, so he brushed it off as the wind blowing the bushes against the window and returned to his work. Another few minutes, Soubi again heard the small noise but this time it was significantly louder so he decided to go investigate. He stood from his stool and headed out the front door. He made his way over to the outside of the window to his studio and bent down to make a close inspection of the bushes underneath it but saw nothing. Once he stood back up however, he noticed a small neatly folded piece of paper with his name written on it stuck to the window. Soubi was very perplexed by this but plucked the note off the window never the less and made his way back inside. Once inside, he stood in the entry way and unfolded the note to read its contents.

Soubi,

I really need your help with something. I think something is wrong with Sasuke and Reiki. Ever since they attempted that spell they have literally been at each other's throats almost constantly. They have been fighting over pretty much everything and neither one of them have been acting like themselves. So I was wondering if you could try and do some research and see if it has something to do with that spell backfiring or if they are just being big babies. I'm really worried about them…

S.

"Hmmm…"

Soubi had a feeling that the spell backfiring did indeed have something to do with Sasuke and Reiki's odd behavior so he decided that he would do as Saiyuri asked and try to find out what the problem might be. So he folded the note back up and slipped it into the pocket of his jeans before heading back into his studio. He then sat down in his small office chair in front of his desk and opened up his computer. He quickly began searching around some of his sources that he had used to discover the spells, looking for more information on the possible outcomes of backfiring. He searched around for an hour with no results matching Saiyuri's descriptions and Soubi was beginning to get slightly frustrated. His frustrations were quickly forgotten however when he heard the front door being opened and then closed again. He happily closed his computer and swiftly made his way to meet his Sacrifice in the entry way. Once he exited the studio, he looked across the living room to see Ritsuka taking off his coat with a small shopping bag placed at his feet.

"Welcome home." Ritsuka turned around with a smile at the sound of the blonde's sultry voice.

"Hey Soubi." Soubi then made his way over to the entry way to be standing in front of Ritsuka.

"So you were out shopping I see. What did you get?" This made Ritsuka blush slightly and quickly grab the bag up off the floor and hide it behind his back.

"It's a surprise."

"Oh? What kind of surprise?" Soubi's tone was now very coy and he had a slight sinister smirk on.

"I'm not telling." Soubi then crossed his arms and made his best attempt at pouting.

"Well that's just cruel." Ritsuka then let out a small laugh at Soubi's sad attempt at a pout.

"Well I was going to wait to give it to you until later but I suppose if you are going to be impatient you can have it now."

"I am definitely going to be impatient." Again Ritsuka couldn't help but to laugh at Soubi when he acted this way; he loved just how adorable and childlike the blonde could be despite his age.

"Fine fine, if you want your surprise then go up to the bedroom and I will meet you there in just a minute."

Soubi was now extremely anxious to see what his clever little Sacrifice had in store and proceeded quietly up the stairs and into the bedroom as he was told. As soon as he reached the bedroom he found himself a comfortable spot propped up against the head board with his legs extended straight out in front of him. As he waited, he was becoming more and more anxious to see what Ritsuka was hiding in the small shopping bag. After a few moments Ritsuka entered the bedroom dressed in only a small pair of very short black shorts, a small tank top and surprisingly his false ears and tail. Soubi watched on happily as the small boy slowly made his way over to the bed with the small bag in hand and a slight blush on his cheeks. Ritsuka then shyly climbed onto the bed to be propped up on his knees facing the blonde.

"Ok Soubi, close your eyes and you absolutely cannot open them until I say so."

"Ok."

Soubi then closed his eyes and waited anxiously for whatever was about to happen. He listened closely and could hear Ritsuka ruffling through the small shopping bag and then there was a short silence. Then out of the silence Soubi was a little surprised to feel something being delicately placed on his head. The sensation caused him to raise his eye brows in confusion which in turn made Ritsuka place a small gentle hand over his eyes.

"No peaking."

Soubi merely chuckled slightly and closed his eyes tighter before Ritsuka removed his hand from over his eyes. There was then more rustling sounds before Soubi felt both of Ritsuka's slender hands caress their way all the way around from the back of his hips to the front. Soubi then heard a very small click that sent his mind reeling with questions as to what could be happening.

"Ok Soubi, come here but keep your eyes shut. I'll help you." Ritsuka then grabbed onto one of Soubi's hands and began pulling on it to guide Soubi off the bed. He led the blonde just a few footsteps from the bed before letting go of his hand. Soubi then heard Ritsuka let out a long deep breath before speaking.

"Ok, you can open them now."

Soubi was very anxious to see what he had gotten and quickly opened his eyes to find himself standing in front of the full length mirror that stood in the corner of their bedroom. What he saw in the mirror however was nothing that he ever would have expected. There in the mirror he saw his Sacrifice standing right by his side still blushing with his ears pressed firmly against his head. He was then in complete shock at his own image in the mirror. He could see a pair of beautiful golden blonde ears fixed firmly to his head that matched his hair color perfectly. As a seemingly natural response he then twitched a few muscles and saw a long fluffy blonde tail swish behind him. Soubi was completely silent as he took in this new look and memories of his childhood flashed through his mind. Ritsuka was studying his Sentouki's face as hard as he could trying to find some hint of what he was feeling and he noticed that Soubi now had his false ears pressed straight back and down as if he was sad or thinking very hard. This made Ritsuka worry slightly and now he was afraid that this was a bad idea, so he took Soubi's hand gently back into his own and squeezed it tightly.

"S-Soubi…what do you think?" Ritsuka's shaky voice was enough to snap Soubi out of his daze and he turned away from the mirror completely to face him.

"Ritsuka…they are beautiful."

"You really think so?"

"Absolutely; but why did you do this?" Ritsuka was already anticipating this question but it made him blush and turn away regardless.

"Well…Yesterday when Yayoi asked why you couldn't make the map for Saiyuri, I saw the look on your face and I realized that most of the time I completely forget all the horrible things you have been through and all the things that Ritsu has taken from you. I know it's not the same but I got you these thinking that maybe…we could lose our ears together."

Soubi's heart completely melted when he heard those words, so much so that he had to fight back tears threatening to roll down his cheeks. He had tried so hard to forget the loss of his ears, the memory had always such a painful one; and now Ritsuka was giving him a chance that he never thought he would ever get, a chance to replace that awful memory with a wonderful one. Soubi was at a complete loss for words and decided to just show Ritsuka how much this meant to him so he swiftly swept the boy up in his arms and simply held him close for a moment embracing him tightly.

"Ritsuka…there is no one else that I would rather lose my ears with."

Ritsuka then pulled his head out of the nape of Soubi's neck and placed his face delicately in his small hands pulling him into a tender kiss. Ritsuka then released Soubi's lips to give him an incredibly seductive smile.

"So will you take me to bed then?" Soubi happily returned his smile with a lusty smile of his own.

"Absolutely."

Soubi then carried his lover back over to the bed and laid him down gently before climbing on top of him and locking their lips in a much more passionate kiss. They both quickly became lost in the bliss of warmth of each other's lips. Soubi took advantage of this and slipped a hand underneath his petite lover placing it on the small of his back and pulled him up to be even closer. The sensation took Ritsuka by surprise and caused him to gasp slightly giving Soubi the opportunity to slyly slip his tongue into Ritsuka's mouth and skillfully swirl their tongues together. This turned Ritsuka's gasp into a series of soft moans that sent gentle vibrations through their kiss. Soubi finally broke the kiss purely out of a need for air but wasted no time in removing Ritsuka's tight tank top. With the pesky piece of clothing out of the way, Soubi began gently nibbling on the sensitive skin over Ritsuka's collar bone earning him slightly louder breathy moans from the boy. Ritsuka's stomach was quickly filling with warm butterflies but this time he was determined to show Soubi that he was no longer an innocent child and that he had learned a thing or two. Soubi's assault on Ritsuka's neck was abruptly cut short as he felt the boy dig his teeth rather hard into the flesh on the side of his neck.

"Ahh!"

This caught Soubi pleasantly by surprise; he knew that Ritsuka was aware of his slight enjoyment of pain but never thought that he would ever be forward enough to actually inflict any sort of pain on him in the bedroom. The sharp sensation on his neck was soon followed by another, this time causing him to grit his teeth in a mixture of pleasure and pain and he could feel the subtle movement of Ritsuka's lips shift into a smirk. This lit a whole new fire in Soubi's belly and he quickly moved to make a harsh assault on the boy underneath him as he began kissing and sucking at every inch of the soft exposed skin of his torso earning him more gasping moans. Ritsuka was now finding it very hard to contain himself any longer; he wanted to show Soubi just how much he had learned. Ritsuka did however allow the assault to continue for another moment before lacing both of his hands through the blonde's long hair and then clenching it in his fists, pulling Soubi's head away from his torso roughly. This caused Soubi to let out a deep grunt as he looked down into Ritsuka's lust filled eyes. Before he knew it Soubi was forced even farther away and coaxed rather forcefully onto his back so that he was now lying on the bed with Ritsuka propped up on his knees in between his legs. He then watched on as Ritsuka gracefully ran his hands down his already exposed torso and down to the brim of his jeans where they quickly unbuttoned them and slid them all the way off his long legs along with his boxers to expose his very erect member. Ritsuka then climbed on top of him so that he was straddling his hips and quickly captured his lips once again in a deep kiss. Soubi's eyes then shot open in shock at a very new sensation as Ritsuka tightly wrapped his tail around Soubi's erection causing him to break the kiss and throw his head back.

"Nnnnhnn…"

Ritsuka grinned widely in satisfaction at this reaction and began to slowly move his coiled tail up and down along Soubi's member earning deep groans with each movement. Ritsuka then lowered his head to nibble all along Soubi's neck as he steadily picked up the pace of his strokes. Ritsuka was then taken completely by surprise when Soubi nimbly slipped a hand into his shorts and grasped firmly onto his own erection and gently slid his thumb across its sensitive tip a few times.

"Ahh!"

Soubi then began stroking Ritsuka's member in perfect time with the movements of his tail making it extremely hard for him to concentrate. Ritsuka then buried his face in the nape of Soubi's neck and grabbed firmly onto his strong shoulders as he quickened his pace even more, all the while letting out loud moans that mingled in the air with Soubi's deep groans. Ritsuka began panting heavily as the knot in his stomach started growing tighter and tighter causing him to tighten his tail around Soubi's erection. He then let out a disappointed groan as Soubi released his erection, but his disappointment was quickly forgotten when Soubi wrapped both his arms around his waist and flipped their positions to pin him down firmly onto his back. The new position forced Ritsuka to unravel his tail from Soubi's member, allowing the blonde to slip off his shorts in one swift movement before settling in between the boy's small legs. Soubi then ran his finger slowly up the length of Ritsuka's erection teasingly. Ritsuka could no longer stand all the teasing and he grabbed Soubi's hand and brought it up to his mouth and began licking and sucking on two of Soubi's slender fingers. Soubi definitely got the hint and pulled his hand back once his fingers were thoroughly wet and began rubbing gentle circles against Ritsuka's entrance before swiftly inserting them both at once.

"Ahhh!"

Once inside, Soubi immediately began scissoring his fingers as he slowly moved them in and out of his lover. He then looked up to see that Ritsuka was now panting heavily and his face was bright red with his ears pressed down and out to the side. Once Ritsuka locked onto the blonde's gaze, he bit down on the corner of his bottom lip and gave him an extremely seductive face.

"S-Soubi…I'm ready…please…."

Soubi then gave a sly grin as he removed his fingers and very quickly slid his erection inside his partner. This caused Ritsuka to cry out loudly and fling his arms desperately around Soubi's neck. Soubi stayed very still until he felt Ritsuka relax his muscles. He then slowly pulled his hips all the way back before pushing them back forward earning him a loud moan from the boy. He then picked up the pace of his thrusts slightly this time causing Ritsuka to dig his nails into Soubi's back when he hit the spot inside that set his whole body ablaze.

"Nnnn…."

The knot in Ritsuka's stomach quickly returned and grew tighter and tighter with each thrust but he still wanted more so he wrapped his legs tightly around Soubi's waist and lifted his whole bottom half off the bed to pull Soubi's erection deeper inside of him.

"A-ahh…!"

"Nnnnn"

Soubi was now finding it hard to hold himself back and longer and he began thrusting even faster and harder into Ritsuka while the boy continued thrust himself up to meet each and every one of the blonde's movements.

"Nnnn! S-Soubi…I…I'm going to…nnnn…"

Ritsuka was struggling to stammer out the words in between his pants and moans. His legs were beginning to shake and his whole body was trembling from the pure pleasure. Soubi could feel how shaky the boy's legs were so he moved one of his hands to pry Ritsuka's weakening legs from around his waist. He then grabbed firmly onto Ritsuka's shoulders and began pulling him down onto his erection with every thrust so that he was hitting Ritsuka's prostate every time. Just a few of these deep thrusts was enough to send both of them flying over the edge of ecstasy together.

"Ahhhh! Soubi!"

"Nnnn!"

They were both immediately exhausted and Soubi quickly pulled himself out of his partner and collapsed on the bed next to him panting heavily. They both laid in silence for a few minutes gasping and panting trying to catch their breath. Once he had calmed his breathing, Ritsuka rolled over onto his side and leaned up slightly so that he was looking down at the blonde with one of his small hands resting on his muscled chest. He then blushed slightly and slowly slid off his ears before reaching over and sliding Soubi's off as well.

"I love you Soubi."

"And I love you Ritsuka."

Ritsuka was then able to catch a rare glimpse of a deep blush envelop Soubi's cheeks and the blonde simply smiled up at his seemingly very grown up lover before wrapping both of his arms around the boy's neck pulling him into a gentle kiss. Ritsuka then broke away to let out a large yawn and collapse back down onto his back. Soubi turned to look over at his Sacrifice to see that he had already drifted away to sleep and he placed a small kiss on his forehead before sluggishly making his way out of the bed to slip back into his boxers and jeans. Once he had his pants back on, Soubi walked back over to the bed and pulled the large comforter over Ritsuka and then exited the bedroom with his false tail still affixed to his waist. He made his way down the stairs and into the kitchen to get a glass of water with his tail swishing happily behind him the entire way. With his glass in hand, he then stepped out shirtless onto the front porch and lit a cigarette. He stood on the porch lost in his thoughts seemingly unbothered by the frigid cold. In this moment he couldn't have been happier that he could now replace the memory of his ears being forced away from him with the memory of losing them willingly to the boy that he loved so very much. Even though they were false ears, it felt real to Soubi and he would cherish this memory forever. The peaceful silence was then abruptly shattered by the sound of Soubi's cell phone ringing in the pocket of his jeans. He took a long drag on his cigarette before pulling it out of his pocket and was then slightly surprised by the name on the caller ID. He exhaled slowly before flipping open the phone and pressing the small green button to answer.

"Hello."

" _Hello. Agatsuma-san?"_

"Yes. What can I do for you this evening Miss Shinonome?"

**TBC**


	33. Surprise

Ritsuka woke up early the next morning to the sound of his cell phone alarm going off and very begrudgingly reached over to turn it off. Upon rolling over, he discovered that Soubi was no longer in the bed with him, which he found odd seeing as the blonde usually slept in later than he did; so he then decided to gather himself up and out of bed and first grabbed his pair of small black shorts that still laid strewn on the bedroom floor and slipped them on. He then made his way down the stairs in search of his Sentouki but after checking all the rooms could find no sign of him. He was then admittedly a little pissed off at this realization.

"Of all the days he decides to go off and disappear, he picked today….figures."

Ritsuka then glanced up at the clock and did his best to brush off his anger before returning upstairs to get dressed for his last day of school before the winter break. Once back in the bedroom he quickly found a pair of jeans and a matching sweater but couldn't find his false ears to go with his already still attached tail. He searched all about the bedroom until he finally found them lying on the floor at the side of the bed tangled delicately with Soubi's golden blonde ones. Ritsuka then couldn't help but to smile at the sight and he soon forgot all his anger as he gently untangled their ears and placed his firmly on his head and Soubi's on the nightstand. Once fully dressed he made his way back down the stairs and into the entry way to grab his backpack and slide on his coat. He then made his exit, gently closing and locking the door behind him. He was a little relieved to see that it at least wasn't snowing and the sun was shining brightly as if to spite the frigid cold air. As Ritsuka made his normal walk to school he tried his best not to think about the upsetting absence of his Sentouki but to no avail. He soon found himself angry once again at the tall blonde.

'Where could he be any way? He almost never wakes up early and I thought for sure that he would actually want to be there to greet me this morning….' He then let out a long aggravated sigh as he approached the gates of the school building. 'Well….at least it's only a half day today. I'll just yell at him later.'

When Ritsuka entered through the gates of the school grounds he noticed that it was a little quieter and less crowded than usual. This was normal though, seeing as many of the students chose to skip the last day before winter break because of it being a half day and the fact that the teachers really just let the students have free hour the entire time anyway. Ritsuka actually liked coming to school on days like these because of the fact that less people were there; so he made his way quietly into the building as he usually did, enjoying the slightly more peaceful empty hallways. Once he made it up to his classroom door however, things immediately seemed slightly off. The door that was usually open was now closed and now where he could normally hear his classmates laughing and talking, he heard only silence. This made him extremely curious so he gently pressed his ear to the door to listen but this only confirmed the unusual silence; that is until he finally heard a female voice make a 'shhh' sound from inside the room. This was enough to put Ritsuka on edge and go into full defense mode considering all the strange things that had being going on. He then took a deep breath and slowly opened the door, prepared for anything, and poked only his head inside the door.

"Surprise!"

This sudden outburst almost gave the small boy a heart attack and he almost screamed. It only took him a second to calm down and then fully open the door and step inside the room. He was then completely surprised to see all of his friends gathered in the classroom; Shinonome Sensei, Soubi, Kouya, Yamato, even Yuiko and Yayoi, all standing underneath a large banner that said "Happy Birthday". Ritsuka was completely taken aback by all of this, so much so that it almost brought him to tears; he hadn't had a real birthday party since his father left so many years ago.

"W-when….who…." Ritsuka could only stand in the door way shocked for a moment, completely lost as to where to even begin with his questions but he finally snapped out of it just enough to close the door and take a few more steps inside. Soubi quickly noticed Ritsuka's confusion and stepped forward towards him slightly to fill him in.

"This was all actually Miss Shinonome's idea." Ritsuka then shot a surprised glance over to his now blushing teacher who was wearing her usual gentle smile before looking back toward Soubi. "She called me last night while you were asleep and told me she wanted to throw you a party for your birthday. She said she wanted it to be all only your friends so she even called all the other students in your class and told their parents that she was canceling class for today. Then she asked me if I could gather up all your friends, so here we are. And I was even able to get a hold of-" Soubi's words were abruptly cut off when the classroom door suddenly flung open wildly, causing Ritsuka to whip around and see who it could be.

"Happy birthday Ritsuka!"

"Yeah happy birthday, sorry we're late."

"Youji?! Natsuo?!" Ritsuka was completely surprised to see these two but they both gave him toothy grins none the less.

"Happy to see us?" Youji quickly got his answer when Ritsuka ran to him and wrapped his arms around him.

"I'm here too ya know." Ritsuka let out a small laugh at the small red head before stepping over and giving him a hug as well.

"I'm so happy to see you both! Where have you been?" They both let out a sigh at this question.

"Well Natsuo and I….well it's kind of a long story, we will tell you a little later."

"Ok."

Ritsuka then turned around to focus his attention on his tall beautiful Sentouki who was still standing patiently on the other side of the room. As soon as their eyes locked, Soubi gave Ritsuka a big smile and the small boy then ran to the blonde and jumped up slightly to stand on his tip toes wrapping his arms tightly around his neck and locking their lips in a quick but tender kiss. He then quickly released him, not wanting to make Shinonome sensei uncomfortable, and planted his feet firmly back on the ground.

"Soubi thank you so much for doing all this and I'm sorry…"

"Sorry for what?"

"Well when I woke up this morning and you weren't there, I got mad because I thought you forgot." Soubi then gave Ritsuka that wonderful heartwarming smile.

"I could never forget such an important day." Ritsuka then warmly returned that smile and hugged Soubi tightly around his midriff.

"I know."

Ritsuka then turned slightly to face his teacher who was still just standing quietly with a smile.

"Shinonome Sensei….thank you so much for putting all of this together, you really didn't have to go all the trouble."

"Oh it was no trouble at all Ritsuka-kun! I wanted to make sure that you had a happy birthday, I am just glad that everyone was able to come. Oh and there is ice cream and cake too."

"That sounds wonderful Sensei."

All of Ritsuka's friends then gathered around the long fold out table that had been placed at the side of the room underneath the large windows, and each helped themselves to ice cream before spreading out and taking to talking amongst themselves. As Ritsuka stepped up to the table to take some ice cream himself, he looked around the room happily to see all his friends gathered in one place to celebrate with him. He then decided that he would go and finish saying hello to everyone that had come to see him so he scanned the room until he found the two Zero girls standing in a corner of the room. He set down his bowl and cheerfully made his way over to where they were standing.

"Hey guys, thanks for coming." Yamato then quickly wrapped the small boy up in her arms and hugged him tightly.

"I'm so glad we could come. Happy birthday Ritsuka-kun!" She then released him with a big smile.

"Thank you." Yamato then let out a long wispy sigh as if she was day dreaming of something fantastic and this caused Ritsuka to giggle slightly. "What is that for?"

"Oh…it is just so amazing to see how much you have grown and changed from the little stray kitten I picked up at the park all that time ago. I'm so happy to see you and Soubi doing well and to see you growing into such a strong person." This made Ritsuka blush slightly and left him speechless but luckily for him Kouya quickly interjected.

"But anyway…Here, we got you this." Kouya then extended a medium sized rectangular box that was wrapped in a floral print paper with a bright red bow on top to Ritsuka, who graciously took it from her. He quickly tore through the paper as delicately as he good and opened up the box underneath to pull out a beautiful jet black pea coat with deep purple silk inner lining and black fur trim.

"Wow…this is really pretty! Thank you both so much." Kouya and Yamato were both very pleased that Ritsuka liked his gift considering it taken them all morning to pick it out.

"I'm glad you like it. Yamato thought the lining matched your eyes, and I must say she was right." Ritsuka then pulled them both in for another hug after setting the box and its contents on the desk that Kouya was leaning against.

"I really love it." The girls then gave him large smiles before Ritsuka glanced behind them to see the Zero boys standing with crossed arms in the opposite corner of the room. "Well thank you both for coming. I'll talk to you both later; I have to go say hello to everyone else still."

"Ok Ritsuka-kun."

Ritsuka then picked up the box containing his new coat once again and walked over to the long table underneath the banner and set it down before making his way over to where the Zero boys were standing. Before he even approached them he could tell that something was bothering them; they never really actually liked many other people but they were still usually much happier to be in a people watching situation. Never the less, he was still just happy that came.

"Hey Youji, Natsuo." Upon Ritsuka's arrival to their position both boys lightened up seemingly back to normal and then Youji quickly threw his arms around Ritsuka.

"Happy birthday Ritsuka!"

"Yeah, happy birthday." The blue haired boy then released Ritsuka to clasp his hand firmly to his Sentouki's.

"So where in the world have you two been? You guys just up and disappeared without a trace." Natsuo then let out a long sigh and lowered his ears as if depressed while Youji did the same before answering.

"Yeah sorry to leave the way we did and all but we got tired of living off of Soubi so we decided to go back to Nagisa. When we got there though she told us we could stay as long as we kept going on missions for her and we didn't contact either you or Soubi anymore. At the time we figured that was probably best anyway; but that only lasted for a week and then we got tired of the old hag ordering us around so we decided that we would just try and live on our own. We both even got jobs." Ritsuka couldn't help but to let out a small surprised laugh at this idea.

"Wow really? Jobs? I can't even imagine you two working at a normal job. No offense."

"Nah it's ok. We aren't very good at it; we both quit after a few days."

"Well then what are you two doing now? Where are you staying?" The red head then cut in with a slightly mischievous smirk.

"We have our own apartment and we find it easier to just take money than to earn it."

"You mean you guys are robbing people?"

"Not people, just a person. It just so happens that we know all of Nagisa's bank account information so we just take what we need from there. She hasn't even noticed yet, she really isn't very smart for a scientist." Both boys shared a sinister laugh together while Ritsuka could only shake his head with a smile; he was actually glad to see that the two hadn't changed too much.

"Well I'm glad to hear that you are doing so well." This comment caused the Zero boys to stop their laughter and returned to a slightly more depressed demeanor. Youji then let out another sigh before taking a seat on top of the desk he was leaning on.

"Well it isn't all good….we have run into a slight, very frustrating, problem."

"Oh? And what's that?" Ritsuka's tone was very playful, expecting some sort of smart-alecky response, but he became genuinely confused when he saw them both press their ears down firmly and avert their gazes to the ground. "You can talk to me about whatever it is you know. I mean, if you want to that is." The blue haired boy then looked up from the ground and crossed his arms in a pout.

"Well…when we got our new place we decided that we wanted to get rid of these ears." Ritsuka actually wasn't too surprised to hear this but was surprised that they did indeed still have their ears and tails.

"Well why haven't you two well….done it yet? Or are those false?" Youji then gritted his teeth slightly in frustration before answering.

"That's the thing, we tried."

"Huh? What do you mean you tried?"

"Well to put it bluntly…we had sex for three straight days and tried everything but our ears never went away."

"Wha?! How is that possible?"

"We couldn't figure it out either so we had to call the only person we could, Nagisa. Turns out that when those stupid girls over there went and lost their ears, Nagisa got pissed. Apparently Nagisa happens to think the ears are cute so…when she made us she altered our DNA so that even when we have sex, our ears won't ever go away. So we are just stuck with them forever."

"Wow…I can't believe she did that. I'm really sorry you guys. But for what it's worth, you two kind of wouldn't look right without them; they suit you."

"Yeah yeah whatever. I don't wanna talk about it anymore, it pisses me off." Ritsuka then let out a small laugh at the now blushing and pouting Youji.

"Ok, sorry."

"Well anyway, we aren't exactly rich at the moment so we couldn't buy you anything but Natsuo made this for you." The smaller red head then stepped forward slightly and handed Ritsuka a slightly morbid yet adorable stuffed teddy bear with large X's for eyes, that resembled the one that he always carried around with him.

"Aww thank you Natsuo, he is adorable." Ritsuka then gave the small boy a gentle hug and a warm smile.

"You're welcome Ritsuka-kun."

"Hey Ritsuka-kun! Over here!" Ritsuka released Natsuo form his hug to turn around upon hearing that familiar voice calling to him. He looked over with a smile to see Yuiko waving at him from the other side of the room with a big smile.

"Well I'll talk to you guys later; try to have some fun ok?" Both boys then gave him a small nod and Ritsuka then made his way over to Yuiko and Yayoi with his new teddy bear still clutched tightly in his hand. As soon as Ritsuka was within reach, Yuiko flung her arms around him and proceeded to almost squeeze all of the air out his lungs.

"H-hey Yuiko…Uh…C-can't breathe…" The pink haired girl then let out a small giggle and released her captive friend.

"Sorry Ritsuka-kun, I'm just really excited to see you." Ritsuka then let out a laugh once he was able to breathe again.

"I'm really glad to see the both of you. How were you able to come though? I thought students weren't allowed off campus on school days unless they are on orders."

"Well Yayoi and I are already really ahead in all of our classes so after Soubi-san called me, we went and asked Ritsu Sensei if we could come since it was your birthday; and he said we good have a day pass to come to the party."

"Well I'm really glad. Seems kind of out of character for him though…" Yayoi then cut in to address that statement.

"You are right actually; Ritsu Sensei said we could come but he told us that the only condition was we had to ask you and Soubi if you had made any progress on your mission." Ritsuka wasn't very surprised to hear this; there was always some sort of catch with that man.

"I see, well you can tell him that we have nothing to report as of now but will get back to him if anything changes."

"Alright, I will let him know; but…since when did you start working for Ritsu anyway?"

"We started working for him ever since our name appeared but trust me, it wasn't something I wanted to do. We needed his help though and that was his request for payment." Yayoi then gave Ritsuka a very serious face as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Please just be careful around Ritsu; there is something not right about him and I don't trust him."

"Well you are right not to trust him, I hate that man and there is more than just something wrong with him; but don't worry about us, we can handle ourselves." Ritsuka then gave him a small reassuring smile before noticing Yuiko digging through her backpack. After a moment of digging around, she pulled out two small jars and handed them to Ritsuka causing him to set down his teddy bear to take them.

"Here Ritsuka-kun, I was able to stop by my house on the way here and get some of my mom's homemade jam for you. Sorry I couldn't get you anything else but we don't actually have any money." Yuiko then lowered her ears slightly at the thought that she couldn't get Ritsuka a real present.

"No, this is perfect Yuiko! I love your jam. Thank you." This was more than enough to cheer up the pink haired girl right back to normal. Ritsuka then saw her shorter companion dig through his own bag and pull out a manila envelope and slide it discreetly across a desk to him.

"Here I got you this Ritsuka. I uh, suggest you don't open it until you get home." Ritsuka immediately caught on and knew exactly what was in the envelope.

"Oh, thank you Yayoi."

"No problem. It was a lot easier than I anticipated."

"Well I'm glad to hear that."

Ritsuka and his most cherished friends were then all smiles once again and for the first time in what felt like years, Ritsuka felt like everything was just normal. The three of them engaged in small talk for a few minutes before Ritsuka's teacher called to him from the long table by the window of the classroom.

"Ritsuka-kun! Are you ready for cake now?"

Ritsuka turned around from his friends to give her a happy nod before walking towards the table while motioning for all his friends to come along. It only took a short moment for everyone to be gathered all around the table with Ritsuka centered right in the middle in front of a large white iced cake with blue icing butterflies and adorned with fifteen white candles. Shinonome then delicately lit all of the candles before everyone joined in singing happy birthday to a now blushing Ritsuka. Once the song was finished, Soubi stepped up behind his Sacrifice, placing a large hand on his shoulder and looked down at him with a smile.

"Blow out the candles and make a wish." Ritsuka then closed his eyes tightly and thought really hard on his wish before blowing out all the candles at once. Ritsuka then opened his eyes and picked up the large knife that was lying beside the cake and made the first cut into it. He didn't get much further than that before his teacher stepped over to him and gently took the knife from him.

"I'll cut the rest of the cake for you Ritsuka-kun, you enjoy your party." He then gave her a big smile before stepping back and allowing her to cut the cake into pieces and place each one on a plate before handing it off to one of the children that now surrounded her. Ritsuka then turned around to find himself facing his tall Sentouki.

"You haven't opened my present yet Ritsuka."

"Oh?" Soubi then pointed over to the desk that Ritsuka normally occupied and where Ritsuka saw a square box, wrapped perfectly, sitting there. Ritsuka felt a little bad for not noticing it before but now that he did, he anxiously made his way over to his desk with Soubi close in toe. Once at his desk, Ritsuka quickly picked up the box and immediately began tearing into the paper while Soubi watched on happily. Ritsuka's jaw then dropped down in shock when all the paper was removed, the box was opened and he was left holding a large very professional looking camera.

"S-Soubi…this is so…amazing." Soubi then gave a rather satisfied smile before leaning down and placing a gentle kiss on the boy's forehead.

"I'm glad you like it. It is the same one that all the best photographers use. I can't wait to see the memories you can make with it." Ritsuka then flung his arms around his Sentouki and nuzzled into his torso.

"Thank you Soubi. I want to fill it memories of us…" Ritsuka then glanced back over his shoulder at all of his friends talking and laughing together. "And of our friends."

"Well why not start now." Soubi then gestured to everyone around the table and quickly got them all organized into a huddle underneath the banner with Ritsuka in the middle. He then gently placed the camera on top of one of the desks and set the timer on it before hurrying over to stand behind Ritsuka with his arms wrapped around him tightly. The small red light on the camera then began to blink quickly to signal that the timer was running down.

"Ok, everyone smile."

Only a few seconds later the bright flash went off and Ritsuka quickly broke free from the group to run over to the camera, followed by Soubi. He clicked on the small button to bring up the picture on the large crystal clear display of the camera and smiled wide as he gazed at the picture. Ritsuka was filled with a happy warmth as he gazed into the screen that showed all of the people that he cared about the most surrounding him with loving smiles.

"This really is a beautiful memory Soubi…I will cherish it forever."

**TBC**


	34. Closure

The party was coming to end as the school bell rang to release the students for the winter break and Ritsuka was saying his goodbyes while Soubi gathered up all of his gifts. After everyone had said their goodbyes, all of Ritsuka's friends filed out of the classroom leaving Soubi and Ritsuka alone with Shinonome sensei, and once Soubi had all the gifts gathered he looked over to Ritsuka to silently let him know that it was time to leave. Ritsuka gave him a nod and began walking toward the door with Soubi close in toe. Before reaching the door, Ritsuka stopped in front of his teacher and gave the woman a warm hug that caught her a little by surprise.

"Thank you again sensei, this was a wonderful birthday." She gave Ritsuka a warm smile as she gently returned his hug.

"You're welcome Ritsuka. I'm so very glad to see you happy." She then released the small boy and turned to look at Soubi. "Take good care of him Agatsuma-san."

"Of course."

The duo then made their exit and began their walk home with all of the various boxes held safely in Soubi's arms and the small teddy bear grasped tightly in Ritsuka's hand. The walk seemed unusually quiet to Soubi, so he looked over to check on his Sacrifice and saw that he had his eyes fixed on the ground with a slightly gloomy expression.

"Are you ok Ritsuka? Did you not enjoy your party?" Ritsuka replied with his gaze never leaving the ground.

"No...The party was great. I just wish that all my friends would have been able to come."

"All of your friends?" There was then a small silence as Soubi thought for a moment on who could have been missing. "Oh, you mean Saiyuri-kun?"

"Yeah..." There was then a very odd gust of wind that whisked through the air.

"What makes you think I wasn't there?" Ritsuka's face immediately lit up and he lifted his head in excitement at the sound of the disembodied girlish voice that came carried on the wind followed by the girls signature giggle.

"So you did come!" Ritsuka couldn't help but to yell out and whip his head in all directions even though it looked as though he was talking aimlessly into the air.

"Of course I did. It's your birthday, I wouldn't have missed it. I was in the tree outside the window. I'm sorry I couldn't come in but you know, being in hiding and all, I didn't think it was a good idea."

"It's ok. I'm glad you came, even if you were really just stalking from the trees." This caused Saiyuri to laugh loudly and even made Soubi chuckle slightly.

"But I must say, it is nice to finally put some names to faces." This puzzled Ritsuka slightly seeing as Saiyuri wasn't actually inside the room to hear any names.

"How are you able to know their names if you were outside?"

"Well when you have been lurking about and observing from a distance for as long as I have, you learn how to read lips pretty well." Ritsuka then gave a sly grin.

"Oh I see. Ok then, if you are so good then who is who?" The girl giggled slightly at this, loving a good challenge.

"Well let's see…The pink haired girl is one of your friends that goes to the academy, Yuiko; and the smaller boy with long hair is her Sentouki, Yayoi."

"That's pretty impressive…but how did you know that Yayoi is her Sentouki? I don't think we talked at all about that kind of thing."

"I can just tell. Sentouki's have a certain way about them." Ritsuka then looked over to Soubi with an inquisitive expression, silently asking if this was true.

"She is right; you can tell a good Sentouki just from their demeanor."

"Like what Soubi?"

"Well I'm sure you didn't notice but, Yayoi has been quieter than normal because he is constantly scanning his environment for signs of danger while keeping a close eye on Yuiko as well. He also makes sure that he is never too far from her and can pick up on her slightest mood changes and reacts to them accordingly." Ritsuka took a moment to think back to the party and he realized that Yayoi was in fact doing all of those things.

"Hmm interesting. Soubi….Do you do all those things?" The blonde looked down at the boy with a large smile.

"Of course." Ritsuka returned his smile before turning back to talk seemingly into thin air.

"Anyways, please go on Saiyuri."

"With pleasure. The very cute flat chested girl is Kouya and the blonde one is her Sacrifice, Yamato. The other two odd little boys are Youji and Natsuo and for some reason I can't tell which one of them is the Sentouki. Now that I think about it….I got a weird feeling from all four of them. Who are they exactly?" Ritsuka was quite surprised that even with all of her knowledge Saiyuri didn't know the Zeroes of all people.

"You really don't know who they are?"

"Nope."

"The girls are the first generation of Zero and the boys are the second."

"Oh! Those are the Zeroes?"

"Yeah, so you do know them."

"No but Reiki is always cursing them for some reason." Soubi then felt the need to interject at this statement.

"Well that makes sense."

"Oh? Why is that? Because I would love to know what the big deal is, Reiki really hates them."

"Well as you know, Sasuke and Reiki were Nagisa's very first attempt at the perfect fighting unit."

"Mmhmm…"

"Well the Zero girls were her next attempt and the boys are her most current attempt; and unlike Sasuke and Reiki, they were all altered so that they cannot feel pain. So it is safe to assume that Ageless has an inferiority complex toward the Zeroes."

"Can't feel pain? Hmm…remind me not to ever get on their bad side. I don't think I like the idea of fighting something that can't feel pain." Soubi then gave a small scoff at this as he not so fondly remembered having his hand nailed to the ground.

"Yes, I highly suggest avoiding battle with them if you can."

"Duly noted. Oh! Which reminds me, have you been able to figure anything out about Sasuke and Reiki?"

"Well I can't seem to find any connection between their behavior and the failed spell, but I'm going to continue looking for safe measure."

"Thank you Soubi."

"It's not a problem. I hope they are doing well."

"I don't know if I'd say 'well' but they are alive and I finally got them to stop fighting most of the time…but I probably should be getting back to them. But I do have a gift for you Ritsuka so meet me in the park tonight so I can give it to you." Ritsuka perked up once again at this.

"Ok, I think we will have something for you too."

"Great! It's a date then. See you boys later." There was then another large gust of wind and Ritsuka took that as the girl making her exit.

By the time they finished talking with Saiyuri, the boys were just arriving at home and Ritsuka quickly made his way up to the door while Soubi followed calmly behind. Ritsuka was quick to unlock the door and slip inside before shedding off his coat and shoes. He then made his way over to the kitchen table and sat down in one of end chairs with his teddy bear now seated in his lap. Soubi followed not too far behind and slipped his shoes off in the entry way before walking over to the table and setting down the assorted gifts. As soon as the gifts hit the table, Ritsuka immediately grabbed the large manila envelope that Yayoi had given him; he was extremely anxious to examine its contents and planned on wasting no time.

"Would you like anything to eat Ritsuka?"

"No, I'm not hungry." The boy shook his head fervently as he replied and was already untying the small thread that held the envelop closed.

Soubi could tell just how anxious Ritsuka was and decided that he probably was best to go ahead and investigate, so he pulled over another chair from the side of the kitchen table so that it was right next to Ritsuka's and sat down so that they could look on together. Ritsuka then looked over to his Sentouki for support, which he found in the form of a small smile, before opening the envelope with slightly shaky hands. Once open, he slowly pulled out a small stack of papers the first being a large blueprint with a small note paper clipped to its corner that read:

 

Ritsuka

I was able to map out all of the buildings on the campus with as much detail as possible. I also went ahead and marked what each room is. Rooms marked with a C are classrooms, O's are offices, B's are bathrooms, S's are storage, the two T's are the training fields, the L is Nagisa's lab, and all the rooms marked with an X are rooms that I don't know what they are or what their contents are…no one knows.

Yayoi

Ritsuka and Soubi then looked at each other with rather impressed expressions before looking back to the blueprint underneath the note. They were both very surprised to see just how large and intricate the entire campus was and they were even more impressed at just how detailed this blueprint was.

"It seems Yayoi really did a very good job." Ritsuka gave a firm nod at this.

"I told you he would; he was the best one in the art club at school."

Ritsuka then took a very deep breath before setting the blueprint aside and once again looked to Soubi for comfort before even daring to look at the page underneath. After receiving a small smile from the blonde and a tender hand placed gently on his thigh, Ritsuka let out his breath and he and Soubi both looked at the next page. It was another large sheet of paper but this one only had a few lines typed on and it had an odd grey tint to it causing them both to assume it was a photocopy.

 

Interrogation report

As transcribed by Nana Saotome

Interrogating party: Nagisa Sagan

Subjects: Fearless. Sentouki, Hideki Kazuka and Sacrifice, Noriko Kazuka

Interrogation method: Electric shock

Ritsuka already couldn't believe what he was reading and looked up from the page to the blonde with a mortified expression.

"E-electric shock?" Soubi let out a small sigh before responding.

"Yes, it is a particular favorite of Nagisa's. The person is hooked up to probes, collars, or anything that carries a current and Nagisa delivers an extremely painful shock whenever she feels like."

"That's horrible….did she ever…do that to you?" Soubi gave an expression that was an odd mixture of pain and relief.

"No, I was never so lucky." Ritsuka was admittedly saddened by this statement but didn't want to pry any deeper at the moment so he simply turned back to the pages in his hands. He took another deep breathe before turning over the first page onto the table to reveal the next page and he and Soubi began to read warily.

 

Interrogation Report:

Nagisa: Well well, it's good to see you again Noriko.

Noriko: I wish I could say the same.

Nagisa: That's not very nice Onii-chan. That hurts my feelings a little.

Noriko: Well you just had my husband and I kidnapped, so I wouldn't call this a happy family reunion.

Nagisa: Well if you would have just handed over the girl when we asked then you wouldn't be in this situation.

Noriko: I would never hand her over to you!

Nagisa: And that is why you are here; so let's start with something simple shall we? What is my darling niece's name?

Noriko: *laughter* Even with all of your resources and all of your money you couldn't even find her name? You really are a very poor scientist Nagisa.

Electric shock applied

Nagisa: Well you didn't exactly make it easy by destroying all of her birth records!

Noriko: That was the point.

Nagisa: Well her name is irrelevant anyway. Where is the girl Noriko?

Noriko: What makes you think I would ever tell you?

Nagisa: This.

Electric shock applied

Nagisa: If you really won't tell me then fine! How about you Hideki? You have always been the one to brag so tell me…why is that when I sent my people back to your home they insist that there is no building there?

Hideki: *laughter* You are right about that Nagisa, I do enjoy boasting when boasting is due. Right as your dogs were dragging us away, I enchanted the house.

Nagisa: Enchanted?! What do you mean Hideki?!

Hideki: I enchanted my home so that, until the day of my daughter's twenty first birthday, only those with Kazuka blood will be able to enter or even see Kazuka manor. And on that day that the enchantment breaks…she won't be taken so easily.

Electric shock applied

Nagisa: That really is a pain Hideki. But I can promise you this; if she takes one step outside of that house…I'll be there. If not, then you better believe that on her birthday I will be there to greet her; and as her only remaining living family I am sure she will run to me after she hears all about how her parents abandoned her out of shame.

Noriko: She will never believe you Nagisa! She will never go to you so willingly!

Electric shock applied

Nagisa: Oh? Well then I will just have to take her by force.

Hideki: Heh, good luck. She has Kazuka blood in her veins; you can throw everything you've got at her and she will never fall.

Electric shock applied

Nagisa: We will just have to see about that. Well…I will anyway, you'll be dead.

Noriko: Damn you Nagisa!

Nagisa: This really has been a nice visit Onii-chan…but may you both rest in peace with the knowledge that once I have that precious little girl of yours….I will dissect her!

Hideki: You'll have to catch her first.

Electric shock applied

Nagisa: Well this is obviously all we are going to get from them. Send them to Ritsu for termination.

Nana: Yes ma'am

Both subjects sent to Ritsu Minami for execution.

-End Report-

Ritsuka couldn't even try to fight back to large tears rolling down his cheeks as he solemnly set the pages down onto the table. Soubi was even having a hard time fighting back the sorrow but knew that he had to remain strong for Ritsuka, so he quickly pulled the boy gently onto his lap and wrapped him up in his arms. Soubi allowed Ritsuka to sob quietly into his chest for a few moments while he rubbed small circles on his back in an attempt to comfort him. Finally after a few minutes, Ritsuka pulled his head back and wiped the tears out of his eyes and gave his nose a few sniffles before looking up into Soubi's eyes.

"S-Soubi…they really are dead…"

"I know…but we all knew that this was a possibility."

"But it isn't fair! They were tortured just for protecting their daughter! It just isn't fair!" Ritsuka's sorrow was quickly being replaced by rage as everything continued to sink into his mind.

"I know it isn't fair…but it is the truth and we can do nothing to change the past Ritsuka."

"I know…" Ritsuka's mind then drifted quickly from anger toward thoughts of his small blonde friend and he was soon filled with sorrow once again. "Poor Saiyuri…."

"Try not to worry so much about her. This is exactly what she asked us for and I told you before…sometimes the comfort of closure can overpower the pain itself." Soubi then gave a small smile as he thought back to just last night when he was given his own closure and was freed from his own painful past by the selfless boy settled on his lap.

"You are right…I will try not to worry…."

"Good." Soubi then placed a tender kiss on Ritsuka's forehead that finally brought a small smile to his face.

The duo spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing and doing their best to focus on celebrating Ritsuka's birthday instead of the disturbing news concerning Fearless. They spent their rare down time together playing board games, watching television and just making small talk. They remained blissfully trapped in this illusion of normality until the sun set and Soubi looked up at the clock on the wall.

"We should get going." Ritsuka looked up from the board game that they were currently playing and noticed that it was almost nine o'clock and let out a long sigh.

"Yeah…" Ritsuka's happy tone made a quick shift to a rather gloomy one as he remembered what they had learned earlier.

"What's the matter?"

"I'm still worried about Saiyuri." Soubi then stood from his place on the floor and extended a hand to the boy still seated on the floor.

"I know you are worried, but it will be alright. We will be there to comfort her and I will be right by your side ready to restrain her in the event she attempts to cause another tsunami." This caused Ritsuka to smile and chuckle slightly as he gently grabbed onto Soubi's hand and allowed himself to be pulled from the floor.

"Ok, let's go." With that the two quickly dressed and were out the door in a matter of minutes, with the manila envelope tucked safely inside Soubi's jacket.

By the time they arrived in the park it was exactly nine o'clock and air was slowly filling with large fully snowflakes. Soubi and Ritsuka quickly found their way to the small picnic table at the far end of the park where they had always met with Saiyuri. As they approached the table, they were slightly surprised when instead of the empty space that they usually saw, they saw the small girl already sitting on top of the wooden table, dressed in her normal worn blue jeans and black hooded sweatshirt, with her legs dangling of its edge.

"Hey boys!" Upon seeing the boys, Saiyuri lifted the hood off her head to reveal her bright blonde ears and waved fervently to them. The sight brought a smile to Ritsuka's face and he rushed over to her and threw his arms around her, while Soubi followed calmly behind.

"It's good to actually see you. You are surprisingly on time today." This made the small girl giggle as Ritsuka released her.

"Well I left a little early today to be on time, it is your birthday after all. Speaking of, I brought your present!" Saiyuri then turned to her side slightly to dig through the small messenger bag that she had placed at her side on the table. Ritsuka watched on with a smile until she finally pulled out a very small red velvet hinged box and extended it out to him.

"Oh Saiyuri! You aren't going to purpose are you?" Ritsuka's tone was overdramatically playful as he took the box from the girl's hand causing both her and Soubi to chuckle.

"I think Soubi would give me quite the beating if I tried something like that." She gave the tall blonde a playful wink at that and he gave back a warm smile.

"Yeah, he probably would." There was then a short moment of laughter from all three friends before Saiyuri became too anxious to wait any longer.

"Well….open it already!"

"Ok ok." Ritsuka let out one last small laugh before slowly opening the box. His eyes then grew wide when he saw what was placed inside. In the box was a thin silver chain necklace that held a pendant of two small silver wings and in between them was a beautiful emerald green gem that had a bright yellow line running through its center. "S-Saiyuri…this is so beautiful."

"I'm glad you like it." The girl then gave him a warm smile and her eyes glazed over slightly as if she was lost in her mind. "It was my mothers." Ritsuka's eyes then shot up from the necklace to meet Saiyuri's warm brown eyes.

"It was?"

"Yes, you remind me very much of her Ritsuka. So selfless and warm hearted, emotional but strong, determined and loving, and fiercely loyal….yes, you are so much like her." Ritsuka was moved almost to the point of tears not only at words being spoken, but at the small loving smile on Saiyuri's face as she very obviously remembered her mother.

"She sounds like an amazing person Saiyuri."

"She really was. She used to always wear that necklace. The stone is a chrysoberyl; they call it the cat's eye gem. Mother always used to tell me that it kept her safe in battle, I hope it will protect you Ritsuka." Ritsuka then stepped forward slightly to catch the girl in another tender hug as he continued to fight back tears.

"Thank you Saiyuri…I will wear it always." He then released her and stepped back to see her smile wide at him.

"I'm glad." The snow then began to fall more heavily and Soubi very much hated to interrupt the tender moment but decided not to delay the inevitable any longer and stepped forward to be right next to Ritsuka in front of the small girl.

"We have something for you as well Saiyuri."

"Oh?"

Soubi then reached into his jacket and pulled out the envelop and held it out to her. Saiyuri happily took the envelope with a smile despite the fact that she knew all too well what laid inside. Soubi then firmly wrapped an arm around Ritsuka as they nervously watched on as she opened the envelop and pulled out the pages. She first examined the blueprint of the school and the note that had been reattached to it.

"Wow! This is really good! Your friend has a really talented hand Ritsuka."

"Yeah, Yayoi is a great artist even though he never actually draws or paints anything outside of class."

"Well this is much better than I expected."

"I'm glad."

Saiyuri then flipped to the next page and Ritsuka and Soubi's hearts both began to pound nervously as they watched the happy glow quickly leave Saiyuri's face. They continued to watch on in fear as she flipped to the next page and her expression grew increasingly grim. By the time she was on the last page, her eyes were full of large tears that began to stream down her red cheeks and Soubi tightened his grip on Ritsuka, just in case. After another moment, Saiyuri silently slid the papers back into the envelop and hung her head low with her eyes fixed on the ground, as the boys remained perfectly silent and perfectly still. Soubi and Ritsuka were then startled when all of the snowflakes in the air suddenly melted and turned into a light rain and a loud clap of thunder ripped through the silence. This sudden weather change sent Soubi into defense mode and he gently moved Ritsuka to be hidden safely behind his back before taking a small step towards the girl seated on the table.

"Saiyuri….are you alright….?" Soubi spoke very cautiously as he took another small step towards her and noticed that she was now shaking slightly and her tears were now falling delicately to the ground.

"I…I-I'm so…happy." This completely confounded both Soubi and Ritsuka causing Soubi to stop dead in his tracks and Ritsuka to rush forward towards her.

"Really Saiyuri?!" The girl then slowly lifted her head to reveal a small smile and tear filled eyes to Ritsuka.

"Yes…I was already sure that my parents were dead Ritsuka….that is no surprise. But now I know exactly what happened and the best part is…they didn't abandon me. They weren't ashamed of me and they died protecting me." The tension in the air then began to slowly let up as Saiyuri wiped the tears from her eyes and she seemed to be returning to her normal chipper self. After a short moment, the light rain turned back into small scattered snowflakes and Ritsuka moved to take a seat on the bench attached to the picnic table.

"Saiyuri…." The girl perked up her ears slightly before shifting her weight to slide off of the table and down to sit on the opposite side of the table.

"Yes Ritsuka?"

"I'm confused about a few things."

"Like what?" The girl then tilted her head sideways slightly causing a small smile to cross Ritsuka's face.

"Well for one…did you know that Nagisa is your aunt?"

"No I didn't actually; but she is not my aunt. The fact that we share the same blood is merely an unfortunate circumstance; she is no family of mine…..and she will pay for what she has done." Ritsuka was actually a little scared for a moment; he knew that Saiyuri could be intense but the tone of her voice alone with that last statement was enough to send chills down his spine.

"I-I see. Anyway…what I am really curious about is how you stayed hidden all these years. Surely you had to have left the house at some point and even now that you're twenty one and the house is visible again they still haven't found you." Saiyuri gave a very sly smile and a slight chuckle at this.

"Well I did leave the house, very often actually; but at that time I had no idea what had happened to my parents and I was still distraught about my condition so I was never really in the mood for human contact anyway. So whenever I had to leave the house, I just stayed hidden and usually traveled in the tree tops; all my training has made me rather agile so it was easy to stay out of sight. "

"And what about after you turned twenty one?"

"I am particularly proud of that one. You see, father told me that Kazuka Manor has been passed down to every first born Sentouki of the Kazuka family for ten generations now and it houses our entire family history. So in order to protect the Manor and our history, each generation has also passed along that special enchantment that protects the Manor from anyone other than blood family; so naturally father taught me the enchantment when I was very young."

"But if you put the same enchantment on the house….then how is it that Sasuke, Reiki, Soubi and I are able to see it?"

"Well after my father's enchantment fell on my birthday I was challenged by a battle unit, that was really pathetic, and after I beat them I questioned them. That's when I learned of the academy and that Ritsu was after me. So I decided that the Manor would need to be protected but I wanted to be able to bring all the battle units I planned on defeating back to the Manor for questioning or memory altering so I created a new enchantment."

"A new one?"

"Yes. It was really difficult but I was finally able to alter the original one so that instead of the Manor only be accessible to those with Kazuka blood, it would be visible to all but only those with an invitation by me could enter the grounds; and I must admit that it was rather amusing to see Ritsu's students curse and scream at my gate when the shield gave them a good electric shock." Ritsuka was truly amazed at the girl's ingenuity and couldn't help but to smile at that.

"You really are full of surprises Saiyuri." The small blonde then gave a large toothy grin.

"Well I have to always stay one step ahead of Ritsu." Soubi then finally broke his silence and stepped forward slightly to be leaning against the picnic table in his usual cool manor.

"Speaking of Ritsu…now that you have all this information, what is the next part of this plan of yours Saiyuri?" There was then a short silence and the atmosphere shifted dramatically as Saiyuri quickly dropped her grin and switched to a gravely serious expression.

"Ritsu Minami has taken away everything precious to me….so I'm going to take everything precious to him." Ritsuka and Soubi both then looked at the girl with very serious focused expressions and after a short tense silence, Ritsuka finally dared to speak.

"What do you mean Saiyuri?" There was then another short tense silence before the girl gave a very dark sinister expression and replied in a bone chilling tone.

"I'm going to take the Seven Moons Academy….and I'm going to kill Ritsu."

**TBC**


	35. Recruiting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! Sorry it took so long to update. Life has been crazy busy!  
> Enjoy!  
> -Shuichi77

"W-what do you mean 'take the academy'?"

"I mean…I'm going to stage a coup." Ritsuka and Soubi were both still in a slight shock at what they were hearing from the now not so innocent looking blonde.

"Really?" Ritsuka was now almost literally on the edge of his seat in a mixture of anticipation and curiosity, while Soubi had now shifted from his usual relaxed demeanor to a much tenser one.

"Yes. Think about it Ritsuka; look at what that place is doing, what horrible practices go on there. Most of the people there are students, just kids, taken away from their families and left with no one to depend on but their partner. Most of them are brand new to the battle world and are scared; and who are they placed in the care of? Ritsu, who runs that place like a military base; all he cares about is fighting and winning. He takes those scared kids and teaches them only how to battle with no remorse. Then he hands them over to Nagisa who treats them like attack dogs to do her bidding. She sends them out on dangers missions with no regard for their safety; to her they are all expendable, even her own creations are thrown out and left for dead once they are no longer useful. And that's just the lucky ones…Sasuke, Reiki, Soubi and I all know far too well what happens to someone if they take a 'scientific' interest in them." Ritsuka then glanced over to his Sentouki to see that he now had a very sullen expression and as Saiyuri's words sunk in, he knew that every word was true.

"That place really is awful…but battle pairs need a place to learn."

"They do and that is what the academy should be about but they have thrown away everything that spell battles used to stand for. Now wouldn't it be better for the students, for the world, if the academy was run by someone who actually cared about those kids? Someone who would teach them morals, integrity, and encourage friendship and sportsmanship instead of hate and pain."

"Someone like you?" The girl broke her seriousness at this to give a small giggle.

"I didn't say me. I haven't figured out who would be best to run that place, all I know is that Ritsu and Nagisa's reign has to end." Ritsuka then took a quick moment to think very carefully about all this and found that deep down in his heart that what Ritsu and Nagisa were doing was wrong.

"You are right…but how do you plan on taking on such a challenge?" The small blonde then gave a big pleading smile at this.

"Well…I can't do it alone. I'm going to need all the help I can get."

"Well I want to help you Saiyuri…but only if Soubi does too." Ritsuka and Saiyuri then both looked up at Soubi silently awaiting his reply which came after a long exhale from the tall blonde.

"Ritsu…I have always hated that man, ever since the day my parents died. He took me in, took care of me and groomed me to be one of the most feared Sentouki alive…only because I look so much like my mother. Despite all the abuse, despite my hate for him…I could never bring myself to do anything about it. He was my mother's Sacrifice so I felt as though harming him was to stain my mother's memory. So… I give you my full support Saiyuri…under one condition." Saiyuri, unlike Ritsuka, had no idea as to how deep Soubi's past was with Ritsu so she was slightly taken by surprise by what she had just heard but gathered her thoughts quickly to reply.

"What's the condition?" Soubi then shot her an icy cold glare with a scary expression that gave her chills.

"I want to watch him die." Saiyuri then swallowed hard in sheer fear at the tone of his voice but was never the less happy to oblige this request.

"Deal." Ritsuka then did his best to try and break the tension and turned back to face the girl in front of him.

"So we are both in; we will do whatever you need."

"Glad to hear it."

"So what is your plan to take the academy?"

"Well again, it is probably best if you only know things as they are needed."

"Fair enough. What is first?"

"I'm going to almost completely rely on you two for the first part. Ritsuka, all those people that were at your party, all the battle pairs anyway, can they all be trusted?" Ritsuka thought on this for a moment, only slightly doubting the Zero boys but figured that since they have cut all ties now they could be fully trusted.

"Yes."

"Good. Now, do you know what they all feel towards the academy? What connections they feel to it?"

"Well…Kouya and Yamato very much hate Nagisa, Ritsu and the academy; they quit working for Nagisa years ago and have cut all ties. Youji and Natsuo are more annoyed by Nagisa but hate the academy all the same and they have also cut ties. Yuiko and Yayoi….well they are first year students there so I don't think I can say they harbor bad feelings for it yet seeing as they are the top of their class. But Yayoi really hates Ritsu and all Yuiko cares about is making him, and me, happy."

"I see….so then, do you two think you get all of them to join us?" Ritsuka looked to Soubi for guidance on this and was quickly met with a reaffirming nod.

"Yes, I think we can, but I don't know how we will be able to talk to Yuiko and Yayoi during the week." Soubi then cut in to answer this.

"The academy observes holiday breaks like any other school just slightly different. On holiday breaks the students are allowed off campus every day during the break but are due back by sunset. So we should be able to find them at their homes during the day."

"Oh, well then it will be no problem Saiyuri."

"Great! So then that is your first mission. If you don't mind, I'd like you both to talk to all of them by this time tomorrow night and from now on I want to meet here every night." Ritsuka was slightly puzzled by this and gave a questioning expression.

"Why the urgency?"

"Because time is of the essence, we are taking the academy on Christmas Eve."

"Christmas Eve?! That's in three days!"

"I am aware but this will give us the element of surprise. No matter what Ritsu may know by now, it is unlikely that he will be excepting a full scale attack in the first place, let alone one on such a holiday." Ritsuka was still slightly unsure about the timing but did feel as though she was right.

"Well I guess we will have to hurry then." This earned a small giggle from the girl.

"Indeed."

"Are Sasuke and Reiki going to be joining us as well?" Saiyuri then let out a small sigh at this.

"Well I guess it's about time I came clean to them about who I really am and my past, and the more help we can get the better off we will be. So I will get them to join us, they hate Nagisa so it shouldn't take too much convincing."

"Alright then." Ritsuka then let out a large yawn that he had been fighting for some time now, signaling to Soubi that it was time for bed so he decided it was time to wrap things up.

"Is there anything else you need from us tonight Saiyuri-kun?"

"Nope, that's it."

"Alright, we should be getting home then seeing as we have quite a busy day ahead of us tomorrow." Ritsuka finally got the hint and stood from his place on the bench to be standing next to Soubi before the blonde had the chance to hoist him off of it. Saiyuri quickly followed suit and stood from the bench only to move to stand on top of the table.

"Ok boys, thank you again for everything. I don't think I've ever been able to call someone friends before but you two really are my most cherished friends." This sentiment warmed Ritsuka's heart and all he could was smile up into the girl's happy face.

"I'm happy to call you my friend Saiyuri."

"As am I." This brought an even larger smile to the girls face.

"You two are just too cute. Now go rest up." Ritsuka gave a small laugh at this before seeing Soubi turn to walk home and he then followed suit. He then stopped for a moment and tried to catch Saiyuri before she fled.

"Saiyuri wait!" The girl laughed slightly as the boy yelled even though she hadn't actually moved yet.

"Yes?"

"I have been meaning to ask you something that has really been bothering me."

"Oh? And what is that?"

"Well it takes us an hour to drive to your house and I know you don't have a car or anything so…how is it that you get around so fast and without being seen?" Soubi then turned fully around to face the girl again upon hearing this question, being very curious about this as well. Saiyuri decided that there was no harm in them knowing and she could sense that there was no one around, so she gave the boys a very sly grin before flipping the hood of her sweatshirt over her head after tucking the manila envelope safely inside the sweatshirt.

"Like this…  _Angels' wings. Carry me safely home._ " These words brought forth the girls large pair of jet black feathered wings right before their now wide eyes.

"Whoa!" Then before Ritsuka could even begin to gush any further, the girl jumped high into the air and quickly flew off into the distance with her distinctive laughter trailing behind her and her figured silhouetted in the moonlight. Ritsuka then turned to Soubi in awe.

"Can anyone do that?!" Soubi gave a small chuckle at this.

"No, I think our friend there is just one very special girl." Ritsuka then gazed into the night sky with a smile before turning back his Sentouki.

"She really is." With that, the duo headed home for well needed rest to prepare for the long day they had ahead of them.

Soubi and Ritsuka awoke early on the morning of December twenty second so as to get an early start on what was sure to be an interesting day. After getting dressed they both made their way downstairs to have a light breakfast of eggs and toast. Breakfast was ready in only a few minutes and the duo was now sitting down to eat together.

"So Soubi, how do we want to go about this? We need to talk to the Zero boys and girls as well as Yuiko and Yayoi, and be done in time to meet Saiyuri." After taking a large bite of eggs, the blonde looked up from his plate to answer the boy.

"Well I was thinking that we could split up."

"Ok that's a good idea. How do you want to split it up?"

"It's probably best if I go talk to Youji and Natsuo; luckily I got their new address before they left yesterday. And you could go see Kouya and Yamato as well as Yuiko and Yayoi, seeing as they are all much closer to you."

"Mmmm ok, sounds good to me." Ritsuka then cleared his plate of all its food before putting his fork down with a smile and taking his plate to the sink. Soubi was right behind him in finishing his breakfast but for once, Ritsuka turned around from the sink to pick Soubi's plate up from the table before the blonde could do the dishes first. Once the kitchen was cleaned the duo put on their coats and made their way out the front door together, locking it behind them. When they reached the small gate in front of the house, they stopped and Ritsuka wrapped his arms gently around his Sentouki before standing onto his tip toes to place a gentle kiss on his lips.

"So we will meet back at home when we are done?"

"Yes; be careful Ritsuka, we don't know if we have caught any suspicion from Ritsu yet."

"I'll be careful."

"Ok, and call me if you should need anything at all." Ritsuka then gave a warm smile before finally releasing Soubi from his grasp.

"I'll be ok."

"I know you will. Oh and by the way, that pendant really suits you." Ritsuka then looked down at the necklace around his neck with a smile and with that the duo parted into opposite directions, each heading to their respective destinations.

After a short walk Ritsuka arrived at the home of Kouya and Yamato and proceeded up to the door and rang the bell. He waited patiently at the door until the spunky blonde opened it.

"Good morning Ritsuka! What a nice surprise." Ritsuka gave a small smile at this being genuinely envious of the girl's energy this early in the morning.

"Good morning."

"Please come in." She then opened the door fully and motioned for her small friend to step inside and he did so promptly.

"Thank you." Yamato gently closed the door behind him and made her way toward the large open kitchen area and sat down at the table followed by Ritsuka who sat directly across from her.

"So to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit Ritsuka-kun?"

"Um well I need to talk to you and Kouya about something." Ritsuka then turned his head in all directions in search of the smaller girl. "Where is Kouya anyway?"

"Oh she is still sleeping, she isn't much of a morning person; but I'll go wake her up."

"Thank you. I apologize for the inconvenience."

"It's ok; it won't kill her to be up before noon for once." The blonde then gave a small giggle before standing from the table and disappearing into the bedroom. Ritsuka sat quietly at the table while he waited for her return which was queued by the faint sound of an aggravated groan coming from the bedroom. Ritsuka then did his best to hold back his laughter when he saw the blonde emerge from the room with her very disheveled partner being drug behind her by the collar of her shirt.

"Nnnn…want…to…sleep…" Kouya whined pathetically as she was pulled over to the kitchen table and forcibly sat down into the chair next to where Yamato had been sitting before and then the blonde took her place at the table once again. As soon as Kouya sat, her head slammed down onto the table and she quickly began to slip back into sleep. Ritsuka finally couldn't help but to laugh at the sight.

"Aiya! She really is useless in the mornings. I'm sorry Ritsuka." Ritsuka then had to force himself to stop laughing before he could reply.

"It's alright." Yamato then gave a slight smirk.

"Well luckily I know how to wake her up." The blonde then leaned down to the passed out girl on the table and she gave her a gentle nip on the tender spot just behind Kouya's earlobe.

"Ah!" Sure enough, this caused the girl to yank her head up off the table with a deep bright red blush covering her entire face. Yamato and Ritsuka both then began to giggle wildly as Kouya tried to figure out what was going on. "Man…I hate that you can do that…" Again Yamato gave a giggle and placed a tender kiss on her cheek.

"Good morning Kou-chan! Ritsuka says he has something he needs to talk with us about." Kouya then finally wiped the sleep from her eyes and gave a large yawn before turning her attention to the boy across from her.

"So what is it that is so important this god awful early?" Ritsuka then switched to a very serious tone and matching expression.

"Well…I need to talk to you about Fearless." This immediately peeked Kouya's interest and she was now intently focused on the boy.

"What about them?" Kouya always got a little shaky when it came to talking about her idols but she did her best to keep her cool. Ritsuka then took a very deep breath and braced himself for both of the girl's reactions.

"Soubi and I have come to learn that….Fearless was murdered by Ritsu."

Meanwhile…

"Come on! Open up you two! I know you are home!" Soubi found himself now yelling up at the window of Youji and Natsuo's small apartment since they were refusing to answer the door. Despite this obstacle, Soubi didn't plan on giving up and continued to be as obnoxious as possible until the small blue haired boy finally opened the door wearing a scowl, a pair of boxers and nothing else.

"What do you want Soubi?! We are kinda busy!" Soubi could then see that Youji was breathing heavily and had a series of red marks along his neck and he then understood why they weren't answering the door.

"Ah, still trying to get rid of your ears?" Soubi added a very smug tone to this which only annoyed the boy in front of him.

"Shut up! It's none of your business. Now what do you want?"

"I need to talk to you and Natsuo about something important; may I come in?"

"Yeah yeah I guess." Youji then left the door open before turning and walking back up the stairs to the apartment he shared with the red head, assuming Soubi would follow. Soubi did in fact follow the boy up the stairs but was stopped by Youji just before reaching the door.

"Wait here for a second."

"Alright." Youji then slipped inside and closed the door leaving Soubi to stand and wait outside. As he waited he heard Youji yell at Natsuo to put clothes on and Soubi couldn't help but to chuckle slightly. It wasn't long before the door opened again and the blue haired boy reemerged.

"Ok you can come in."

"Thank you." Soubi did as he was told and entered the small flat and quickly realized just how small the apartment was. He took a quick look around and saw that the whole apartment was really only one room, a small kitchen and a small bathroom. It had minimal furniture and he felt slightly sorry for the two and for a moment thought about inviting them to move into Kio's old room but knew that they elected to live on their own so he decided against the offer, at least for now.

"Hey! You aren't here for sightseeing. Sit down and get on with it already." Soubi then turned at the bitter sound of Youji's voice and simply smiled at the boy before moving to sit across from the cross armed duo at the small short table on the floor in the middle of the room.

"Well I have come with an offer." This peaked their interest and they uncrossed their arms and made an effort to seem interested.

"And what is this offer?" Soubi then made a small pause, purely or dramatic effect, before replying to the snippy blue haired boy.

"How would you two like a chance to take down Nagisa for good?" This caused large sinister grins to cross both their faces, practically silently sealing the deal already.

Later that day…

Ritsuka was happily making his way toward Yayoi's home, thinking that that would be the better place to start seeing as his parents were always out of town and Yuiko's parents wouldn't have been very fond of a boy being over. Upon arriving in front of the midsized two level home, Ritsuka made his way to the door and rang the bell. The door was quickly answered by the long haired boy who greeted him with a smile.

"Good morning Ritsuka."

"Good morning."

"Is there something I can help you with or are you just here for a visit?"

"Well I was hoping to speak with you and Yuiko about something. Is she here with you by any chance?" Yayoi blushed slightly at this and gave an even bigger smile.

"Yes she is. Please, come in." Ritsuka quickly made his entrance and was lead into the large living room of Yayoi's home where he found Yuiko sitting comfortably on the couch in a pair of cotton shorts and a low cut tank top. As soon as she saw Ritsuka walk into the room, she leaped up from the couch and ran over to him, wrapping him up in her arms.

"Ritsuka-kun! I'm so glad to see you again!" Ritsuka happily hugged her back with a smile before she released him.

"It's good to see you too Yuiko."

"Here here, come sit Ritsuka!" Ritsuka laughed slightly at her enthusiasm and followed her to the large couch and sat down next to her while Yayoi followed behind and took a seat on the opposite side of her. Yayoi was quick to get to the point, sensing from Ritsuka's now tense expression that it was something important.

"So what is it that you need to speak with us about?" Ritsuka paused for a moment to gather his thoughts.

"Well I need your help with something very important to me."

"More help?"

"Yes, I really appreciate what you have already done for me but I have one last thing to ask of you. I must admit though that this is not something that I am asking easily of you; it could be very dangerous and I will understand if you don't wish to help." This shifted the entire atmosphere in the room and Yayoi turned to Yuiko to get an approving nod before going any farther with the conversation.

"You are our friend Ritsuka; we will do what we can. So what exactly do you need help with?" Ritsuka let out a long breath before continuing.

"Soubi and I are gathering as many people as we can to…take the Seven Moons academy and over throw Ritsu and Nagisa; and we need you." Yuiko gasped in shock at this and clasped onto her Sentouki's hand while Yayoi remained surprisingly calm.

"So you're building an army of sorts?"

"You could look at it that way."

"Well I must ask why you two are doing this."

"To keep a long story short, Ritsu and Nagisa murdered the parents of a very dear friend of mine; and that is only one of many reasons." This caused Yuiko to cry out.

"What?! Did they really Ritsuka-kun?!" Ritsuka solemnly lowered his head at the pink haired girl's question.

"Yes…they were murdered for protecting their daughter."

"That's so awful…."

"They are awful people and I think you both know that. I mean can either of you say truthfully that you enjoy it there? That you are treated well?" Yuiko could only lower her head at this knowing that she could say none of those things. Yayoi on the other hand spoke up once again.

"I don't entirely hate the academy Ritsuka…but I hate Ritsu with all my being. He is a slave driver and only cares about winning; we are only treated so well, if you could call it that, because we win. But even regardless of this, he always threatens us with all sorts of punishments and has even threatened to put us in the isolation chambers." There was then a small pause from the boy before he looked at Ritsuka with a fierce expression. "So if you are going after him…then I am in."

"I'm glad to hear that. Are you ok with this though Yuiko?" When addressed, Yuiko lifted her head with a small warm smile to answer.

"I stand behind Yayoi no matter what; I'm in." Ritsuka's heart was truly warmed not only by the fact that they were so willing to help him but more by just how much they cared for each other. This is however, one of the things that made him worry so much about their safety in taking this challenge.

"Are you two sure that you are up for this? It really will be dangerous."

"We can handle it. I will protect Yuiko with my life if need be."

"Well hopefully no one will be dying."

"Well that's good." This small yet morbid joke was enough to break the tension and bring laughter to the three friends. Ritsuka then quickly checked the time to see that it was getting to be late and decided that he should head home to meet up with Soubi so he stood from his place with a smile.

"Well I need to be heading home but thank you both so much again, this really means a lot to me and my friend." Yuiko and Yayoi then stood and both gave Ritsuka a quick hug before Yayoi replied.

"You are welcome."

"Ok well I will be in touch and let you know what you need to do as things come together but I'll only contact you when you are off campus and most importantly, you obviously can't speak a word of this to anyone."

"Understood."

"Well I'll talk to you guys later, take care."

"You too." With that, Ritsuka made his exit and began his walk home to meet his Sentouki and put their resources together before their meeting with Saiyuri.

Back at home…

Ritsuka approached the front door of their home and turned the handle to find that it was unlocked, so he opened the door and immediately ran into Soubi who was taking off his jacket and hanging it on the rack.

"Hello Ritsuka, you are home sooner than I expected."

"And you're home later than I expected." Ritsuka's tone was slightly coy and he had on a playful smile as he gave his Sentouki a gentle hug.

"Yes well I admit I lingered at Youji and Natsuo's for a while. I tend to worry about them still and they are really no good at living on their own. They didn't actually have any food anywhere in the apartment so I took them to the grocery store and made them lunch." Ritsuka then let go of the blonde and looked up at him with a warm smile.

"You really are a natural nurturer Soubi." This earned a small chuckle from Soubi.

"I suppose I am….speaking of, are you hungry?"

"Not really."

"Alright, I'll make some tea then." Ritsuka then gave a smile after hanging up his coat and proceeded to take a seat at the kitchen table while Soubi walked into the kitchen and put the kettle on the stove. As soon as he sat down, Ritsuka stretched his arms high up in the air and gave a large yawn, already tired from his busy day, before addressing the blonde standing in front of the stove.

"So, what did Youji and Natsuo say about joining us?" Soubi turned around from the stove to answer with a smile.

"Well as expected, it didn't take much convincing. I told them that we planned on taking the academy under our control which meant permanently getting rid of both Ritsu and Nagisa. Needless to say they were more than happy to join; they only requested that they be giving first dibs on Nagisa." Ritsuka was none too surprised to hear any of this, but wasn't entirely sure that Saiyuri would give them the first shot at Nagisa.

"Well that's good." The tea kettle then began to whistle loudly and Soubi turned back to take it off the burner and pour the hot tea into two glasses. He then handed one of the glasses to Ritsuka before taking a seat across from him.

"So how did your day go?" Ritsuka took a small sip of his steaming hot tea before replying.

"Well when I went to Kouya and Yamato's, I told them that Fearless was murdered by Ritsu and thinking about it now…I probably shouldn't have started that way."

"Oh? Why is that?"

"Well Kouya really lost it…I mean they were both really upset but Kouya took it the hardest. She was stunned at first then she cried then…she just got pissed. She tried to storm out of the house saying that she was going to kill the bastard right then and there." Soubi rightfully grimaced at this before sipping his tea.

"That's definitely not good."

"Yeah. Luckily Yamato was able to calm her down enough to listen to the rest of what I had to say. So once she calmed down I told them that we were planning a hostile takeover and they were both eager to help. They said that they know the way that Nagisa trains her battle pairs really well, so they would be able to take down any of her students easily."

"Well that's good. They will be a very valuable asset. What about Yuiko and Yayoi?"

"They took a little more convincing. Like I thought, they don't really hate the academy itself but Yayoi harbors a lot of hate toward Ritsu. He said that even though they are top students, he always threatens them even with forced separation." Soubi gave an aggravated scoff at this.

"Forced separation on first years…he really is despicable."

"I know. So Yayoi was on board and Yuiko offered her full support as well."

"Well with their deep knowledge of the campus and their impressive fighting skills, put together with everyone else, I'd say we have a really formidable force."

"Agreed. I just hope we can all make it out of this ok…" Soubi could sense the immense amount of worry in Ritsuka's voice and quietly stood from his place and walked over to place his arms around him from behind and placed a gentle kiss on the top of the boys head.

"It will be ok Ritsuka. Our friends are very strong and all of us Sentouki hold a very strong bond to our Sacrifices. This bond to our partners and our bond to each other as friends is what makes us strong, it is what separates us from Ritsu and Nagisa…and that bond is what will make us prevail." Ritsuka was always so moved blondes words and was always impressed that he always knew exactly what to say.

"You are right Soubi…I love you so much."

"And I love you Ritsuka." The two held onto this rare peaceful moment for as long as they could and continued with simple small talk for a while. The time didn't seem to last long enough however and it seemed like no time at all before the sun was setting on a long and busy day. Soubi was the one to break the blissful peace upon looking at the clock upon the wall.

"Well we better get going." Ritsuka gave a sad sigh at this; he was coming to cherish these rare times more and more and each time they ended he had grown to miss them that much more.

"Alright." The duo both then silently made their way toward the front door and quickly got dressed before heading out the door once again.

By the time they arrived at the park, the sun had fully disappeared beneath the horizon and the moon was just beginning to light the sky. They soon found their way to the picnic table that had now become their secret meeting place and Ritsuka promptly took a seat while Soubi stood in his usual place leaning against the table. They arrived before the small blonde girl this time and simply waited patiently beneath the dim light of the lamp post. After only a few short minutes Ritsuka just happened to look up into the sky and catch a quick glimpse of a winged figure disappearing into the trees not too far away. The sight brought a large smile to his face not only because it signaled his friend's arrival but also because he was still in total awe of the girl's impressive gift. Another short moment passed before the girl came walking out of the dense trees with a smile.

"Well hello you two!" Ritsuka's face lit up upon seeing her as usual and he was quick to greet her.

"Good evening Saiyuri." The girl then made her way quickly to the table and took a seat across from Ritsuka.

"So! Right to the point then, how did everything go today?" Soubi gave a small smile at this and moved to sit next to Ritsuka to answer her first.

"Well I can report that the Zero boys, Youji and Natsuo, give their support. They did request however to land the first blows to Nagisa." Saiyuri was silent in thought for a short moment, deciding on whether to not she wanted the first strike at her or not.

"Hmmm yeah they can do as they please with her; it's Ritsu that I want. Glad they are on board. How about you Ritsuka?"

"Well as you know from spying on us the first time, the Zero girls, Kouya especially, feel strongly about your parents so they are on board. They also mentioned that they have great knowledge of the possible tricks and tools that Nagisa might use to fight back, which will be helpful."

"Their skills will be helpful indeed, and I'm very glad to have them on board. My parents would have been proud to have them fight alongside them." She gave a genuine warm smile at this that quickly caught on with Ritsuka.

"I'll be sure to tell them that."

"Good. Now how about the last two?"

"Yuiko and Yayoi are behind us as well."

"Wonderful! They will be our best source of inside information."

"So did you talk to Sasuke and Reiki?" Saiyuri gave a long sigh at this.

"No…when I woke up this morning they were sleeping together on the couch. I think they were up late doing something, training most likely, and I haven't seen them sleep together in a while so I didn't want to bother them. I plan on talking with them first thing tomorrow."

"Alright. Then what is our next move?"

"Well I will take tomorrow to talk to them and figure out the next step to take; and as for you two, I would just like you to take the day to study the blueprint of the academy and practice your inoffensive spells. When we go on the attack, I want you both to use those spells on any first year or inexperienced units that may challenge you. I want to cause as little harm to the students as possible." She then pulled the blueprint out of her sweatshirt and handed to Ritsuka.

"Understood. We will practice hard."

"I know you will. But I'm afraid I have to cut our meeting short tonight, I still don't like leaving those two alone for too long and I'm sure you are both tired."

"Ok." They all three then stood in unison from the bench and Ritsuka moved to give the girl a hug. Once she was released she turned to face them both.

"Oh! I almost forgot, I want you both to have my personal cell phone number so give me your phones." They both did as they were told and handed their phones over and the girl typed the digits into both phones before handing them back. "Now you can only contact me in case of emergencies and I already have your numbers and will contact you if I need to. If we make any calls to each other we need to try and keep the calls under ninety seconds so they can't be traced."

"Ok." Ritsuka responded with a smile while Soubi simply nodded in compliance.

"Well you ready to go Ritsuka?" Ritsuka nodded to his Sentouki with a smile and opened his mouth to say goodbye but Saiyuri cut in before he could even speak.

"Oh and one last thing…" Saiyuri turned to address Soubi with this and he quickly replied.

"Yes?"

"Would you mind walking home by yourself? I have a surprise for Ritsuka. I'll have him home by the time you arrive." Soubi was slightly cautious to let his precious Sacrifice out of his sight this late at night but decided he could trust the girl.

"I don't see why not."

"Great!" Soubi then leaned down to give Ritsuka a tender kiss on the forehead before turning and silently beginning his walk home. Ritsuka then turned to the girl with a curious expression.

"So what's my surprise?" The girl then gave a very giddy giggle at this before swiftly sneaking up behind the boy and wrapping her arms tightly around his small frame, taking him very much by surprise. "W-what are you doing?"

"Just hang on tight ok, and trust me."

"O-ok." Ritsuka was a little scared but did as he was told and held onto the girls arms tightly.

"Here we go!  _Angel's wings! Take us away!"_  With the spell cast, the large wings were called forth and Ritsuka's stomach dropped as they were pulled quickly high up into the air. He closed his eyes tightly purely as a reflex. Once they were high above the trees, the girl giggled at the boy with his eyes clamped shut in shock. "Open your eyes silly." Ritsuka then swallowed hard and opened his eyes. He was then in complete awe at what he saw. He first looked up to see the large black wings that were carrying him and Saiyuri. He then looked below him to see the park below getting smaller and smaller.

"Whoa! This is so cool!" The girl again let out a laugh.

"This isn't even what I wanted to show you, hold on."

"Ok." Ritsuka then continued to hold on tightly and watch as the landscape whizz by below. Then after a short moment Saiyuri spoke once again.

"Ok now close your eyes until I say so."

"Ok." Ritsuka closed his eyes but could feel them climbing higher and moving at an increasing faster speed until the movement stopped all together.

"Ok, you can open them." Ritsuka then opened his eyes and his eyes grew wide at the sight. They were now hovering high above the entire city and Ritsuka could see every piece of landscape; everything from all the brilliant lights of downtown to still lake on the edge of town, he could even see Kazuka Manor far off into the distance.

"Wow…it's so beautiful…" Ritsuka then looked up to see a warm smile on Saiyuri's face.

"Yeah…I always come up here when I'm feeling upset or scared. It really is such a beautiful view and it always makes me feel better…it helps to remind me what I am fighting for."

"It really is amazing Saiyuri….thank you."

"I'm glad you like it….oh! Look, Soubi is almost home; we better get going." Ritsuka looked down to see that he could in fact barely make out the blonde's figure reaching the end of their street.

"Yeah." With that, Saiyuri gave a few large flaps of her wings and headed in the direction of the boy's home. Once they were close, she pushed her wings back and began a fast dive that scared Ritsuka a little but she opened them up fully just before reaching the ground, much to Ritsuka's relief. She then made a gentle landing right next to Soubi as he approached the front of their home, taking him by surprise.

"Oh! So that was your surprise. How was your flight Ritsuka?" Saiyuri then let the boy go and he ran over to Soubi with a large toothy grin.

"It was so amazing Soubi! I got to see the whole city! It was beautiful." Soubi gave a smile at this.

"I'm glad. But it is time for bed now."

"I know I know." Ritsuka then turned and ran back to the girl that was still standing on the ground with her wings now folded up behind her, and threw his arms around her.

"Thank you Saiyuri and goodnight." Saiyuri gave him a big smile.

"Good night to the both of you. I will be in touch." Saiyuri then opened her wings once again and took off into the air. Once she had vanished, Soubi swiftly scooped Ritsuka up in his arms and pulled him in close, locking their lips in a deep kiss.

"I am glad you had a good time Ritsuka."

"Thank you."

"Now, let's go to bed. We have some training to do tomorrow."

"Yes, lets."

Soubi then happily carried his lover safely into their home with an unusually large smile on his face. In that moment he felt like the luckiest man alive, he had an amazing partner, a new cause worth fighting for and for the first time in his life a group of very special people that he could call more than friends…but family.

**TBC**


	36. Recon Gone Wrong

Kazuka Manor…

Saiyuri awoke in the mid afternoon as she often did, not being especially fond of mornings, and climbed sluggishly out of her large lavish bed after giving her arms a good stretch. She then made her way down the long winding staircase and toward the kitchen, still dressed in her pajamas, to make a late breakfast before going to look for her troublesome roommates. Upon entering the kitchen however, she was surprised to find the duo already seated next to each other at the table eating what appeared to be a home cooked lunch.

"Since when do either one of you know how to cook?" The girl's voice took them both by surprise and caused Reiki to almost leap from his seat while only causing Sasuke to look up at her with wide eyes.

"Reiki doesn't know how to cook, so I had to learn since you are always gone. We were going to starve to death otherwise." The taller man's tone was his usual calm and cool one, which was a welcome relief from the harsh icy tone that had become more common these days.

"I see. Well I'm glad to see you two have managed to get by while I'm away." The blonde then gave a small playful scoff as she made her way over to the fridge, opening it wide as she searched for something to eat. After a few minutes of searching the not so full fridge, she finally let out a small sigh and settled on a small bottle of orange juice and some convenience store rice balls that she had left over from the day before. She then closed the door and plopped down in a seat across from the silent duo at the table. She joined in their silence for a few minutes while she gathered her thoughts until she finally let out a long deep breathe before speaking.

"Hey…I need to talk to you guys about something." The girl's voice was small and timid, which was extremely unusual for her and this tone alone was enough to cause both boys to stop eating immediately and give her their complete attention. Saiyuri quickly averted her gaze away from theirs and down towards her food until Sasuke's unusually tender voice rang through her ears.

"What is it Saiyu? You can talk to us." Saiyuri was taken by surprise by the sincerity in the taller man's voice and let out a long breath before finally deciding to come clean.

"Well…I haven't been completely honest with you about who I really am." The rambunctious red head cut in at this statement.

"Well you already told us that you were actually a battle unit before your partner died. So what else could there be? Whatever it is that you think is so important, well I think you are probably just over reacting." Reiki's smug tone earned him a swift smack to the back of the head from his Sentouki.

"Shut it Reiki. Let her talk."

"Ow….Geez, fine." He then gave the back of his head a good rub and looked back to the blonde girl across from him. "Sorry Saiyuri, go on." The girl then took a very deep breathe before continuing.

"Well you see….That wasn't exactly the truth." Sasuke then cut back in with a very sincere tone.

"Well what is the truth then?"

"The truth is…my partner never died….they never existed." This caused both of the boy's eyes to grow wide in surprise.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke's tone had now shifted from sincerity to absolute confusion.

"My name is Bondless, one that shares no bond. I was born without a Sacrifice." They were both in a stunned silence for a moment before Sasuke spoke once more.

"I've heard about something like that in myths but…I didn't think it was really possible." Saiyuri then let out a long defeated sigh as she stared blankly at her feet.

"No one else thought it was possible either…until I was born. Which brings me to the rest of my story…" She then finally turned her gaze up from the floor to look at the wide eyed boys across from her as she tried to fight back tears. "You see, once my father discovered what I was, he tried everything he could to keep it a secret and so did mother. But it got out somehow and that's when people started to come looking for me…people from the Seven Moons Academy." This caused the red head to interject in shock.

"You mean the academy was after you?!"

"Yes…they were then and they are now. But before, when I was younger, they sent people here one day and all they found were my parents. After they refused to tell them where I was, my parents were taken to the academy and…" Saiyuri could then no longer fight back the tears and allowed them to slowly stream down her cheeks as she clenched her fists in anger. "They were killed by Ritsu Minami." There was then a loud gasp from both boys followed by a solemn silence. Saiyuri then lowered her head and sobbed silently before she suddenly felt a large pair of arms wrap around her from her behind. She looked up in surprise to find herself face to face and in the arms of the tall dark haired man.

"Saiyuri…I am so sorry that you have had to endure such pain and more than anything, I am sorry you have had to suffer alone. I can't imagine such a burden; Reiki and I were lucky to have had each other through our troubles but you… you had no one. I'm sorry you didn't find us sooner…but we are here now and you no longer have to shoulder this pain alone. We are here for you Saiyuri." These words rang through Saiyuri's heart and filled her with a comforting warmth; it felt so good that she was surrounded by such good friends. Sasuke then unwrapped his arms from around her and she gave him a small smile as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Thank you Sasuke." He then simply returned her smile before returning to his seat next to his Sacrifice. After another short silence the red head finally spoke up in his usual tone.

"You said the academy is still after you?"

"Yes."

"So then… are you just going to hide forever or are you going to do something about it?" The boy's slightly smug tone actually caused Saiyuri to smile slightly again.

"Well that's actually why I am telling you all this. I am doing something about it and I need both of your help." Reiki jumped at even the slightest idea that he could get back at the academy and was quick to reply in an eager voice.

"We will do anything you need to help. Do you have a plan?"

"I do. I'm going to take over the academy by force. I already have a small group at my side and the only thing I'm missing now is you two." A sly sinister grin then crossed the red heads face.

"What do you want us to do?" Saiyuri then leaned forward in her chair and placed her elbows on the table while lacing her fingers together before replying in a serious tone.

"Well I really need someone to go on a recon mission tonight to get a general feel for the layout of the outside of the campus and try to find us the best way to get inside the gates unseen. But it might be dangerous, there is a good chance that Nagisa will have guards all around the campus so the recon team will need to be ready to battle if need be." Reiki then looked over to his Sentouki with a grin and was silently answered by a small nod.

"We will do it."

"Are you sure you two can handle any battle units you may run into?"

"Of course we can." Reiki's extremely over confident tone caused Saiyuri to giggle slightly.

"I know you can."

"So when do we leave?"

"You guys should leave just before sunset so you can do your mission under the cover of nightfall."

"Ok. We won't fail you."

"I know you two will do great Reiki."

"Damn right." The red head then crossed his arms with a confident expression. All three then returned to their meals in silence until Sasuke raised a question to the small blonde.

"Saiyuri, why do we need to leave tonight?" Saiyuri took the last bite of her rice balls before answering.

"Well because the last stage of the operation, the attack, will take place tomorrow." Sasuke was only slightly surprised by this plan of action and replied in a cool tone.

"So you plan to attack on Christmas Eve to take them surprise?" Saiyuri then gave the clever man a sly smirk.

"You got it." Sasuke then let out a small chuckle at the girl's ingenuity.

"Well we will do some training after lunch to prepare for this mission."

"Glad to hear it. I'll be out in the barn doing some training myself." She was then only met with a small satisfied smirk from the two new editions to her squad.

Meanwhile, later that night…

"Hey Soubi…" Ritsuka popped his head inside of the studio to see the blonde fixed to his computer as he had been all day. Upon hearing his lover's voice, Soubi tore his gaze from the screen to turn around in his chair and look at the boy that was now standing in the door frame.

"Yes?"

"I'm going to make some diner, do you want anything?"

"No thank you." Ritsuka let out a small defeated sigh at this.

"You know…you haven't eaten at all today or left your desk…what are you doing in here exactly." Soubi could hear the worry in Ritsuka's voice and stood from his chair before walking over to the boy and placing a gentle kiss on his forehead.

"I'm sorry for being in here all day; I am just worried about Sasuke and Reiki. Saiyuri says they have been acting strangely ever since an inoffensive spell backfired on them and I still haven't figured out if it is the cause of the behavior. I have a bad feeling about something and I just can't shake it. So I am still just searching for any other adverse reactions to a spell rebounding. But I promise I will eat later." Ritsuka then let out another small sigh at this.

"Well…I understand then. I just hope you can figure something out and I hope that Sasuke and Reiki are ok."

"Try not to worry. I am sure they are fine but it doesn't hurt to be extra sure." Ritsuka then finally gave a small smile of admiration to his Sentouki.

"You're right. Well I'll go make diner then. I'll save you some and put it in the fridge for you whenever you are ready to eat."

"Thank you." Soubi then smiled warmly down at his Sacrifice before returning to his computer and continuing his search. Once Soubi was once again seated, Ritsuka turned and exited the studio to make his way into the kitchen.

Ritsuka rustled through the kitchen cabinets in an attempt to find something to fix and he was admittedly having some trouble; he had gotten so used to Soubi doing all the cooking that he wasn't sure he knew how anymore. As he searched, he could still make out the distinct sound of clicking caused by the blonde that was typing away in the other room. After a few minutes of searching, Ritsuka finally gave up and settled on a bowl of microwave ramen. He pulled the package from the cabinet and placed the noodles and hot water into a bowl before placing it in the microwave. He then waited patiently for the timer to ding, all the while listening to non-stop clicking of keys in the studio. Ritsuka was then surprised, almost to the point of squealing, when the typing sound was suddenly replaced with a large bang. The boy immediately ran into the studio in a worried frenzy and quickly found that the source of the noise was from Soubi standing from his chair so quickly that it had fallen over.

"Soubi? What's wrong?! What happened?" Despite the boy's rather loud questions, Soubi remained frozen in place and completely silent, his eyes fixed eerily on the screen in front of him. "S-Soubi…?" Ritsuka then slowly made his way toward the frozen blonde until he was close enough to extend a hand to him. Before Ritsuka could do so however, Soubi suddenly jerked around to look at Ritsuka with a shocked and mortified expression.

"Ritsuka…this is bad….very bad." Ritsuka was quickly becoming very frightened by the blondes demeanor; Soubi had always been so cool and collected, he had never seen him like this before.

"W-what is it Soubi?"

"I have to call Saiyuri…." Even though Soubi had completely ignored his question, Ritsuka followed silently behind the blonde as he rushed for his cell phone. Ritsuka could then only watch on and listen as Soubi quickly dialed the numbers.

" _Hello?"_

"Saiyuri, its Soubi."

" _Soubi? I thought we agreed you would only call this number i-"_

"Where are Sasuke and Reiki?!"

" _Huh? I sent them on a recon mission at the academy to scope things out. Why?"_

"How long ago did they leave?!"

" _About an hour ago or so…Soubi what's going on? You're scaring me."_

"Saiyuri listen to me…you have to stop them! They absolutely cannot battle!"

" _Wait,what?! Why not?! What happened?!"_

"I finally figured out why they have been behaving so strangely…you said when the spell backfired they felt a sort of shock right?"

" _Y-yeah…"_

"Well that was no static shock they felt…when that spell backfired, the shock they felt was…their bond being permanently severed."

"… _no…"_

"Yes. If they battle in their state…there is good chance one or both of them will die."

" _No…I…I think I can catch up to them if I leave now."_

"You have to try. You can get there much faster than Ritsuka and I can but we will leave right away and meet you there."

" _No! We can't risk the entire mission by us all being seen together. I can get there fast and stay hidden…and hopefully get them out of there. I need you two to stay put."_

"Are you sure?"

" _Yes. I'm leaving now; I'll call you once I've retrieved them."_

"Ok…please hurry."

*click*

Once Soubi closed his phone, he looked over to see his Sacrifice with a horrified expression on his face. He knew Ritsuka was worried and scared and so was he, but Soubi knew he had to do his best to remain calm for Ritsuka's sake so he quickly wrapped the boy up in his arms and squeezed him tightly.

"Everything will be ok Ritsuka. Please…try not to worry." The boy remained completely silent in his Sentouki's arms, his mind completely frozen in fear for his friend's safety.

Back at Kazuka Manor…

Saiyuri quickly hung up the phone and shoved it into the pocket of her jeans before running into the entry way and franticly grabbing her black hooded sweatshirt from the secret compartment. It was then only a matter of seconds before she was out the door and airborne, silently praying that her wings could get her to her friends in time.

In the midst of the chaos, oblivious to the danger, Sasuke and Reiki were just making their ascent up the large hill that over looked the Seven Moons academy. As soon as the large compound came into sight the small red head let out a disgusted scoff.

"I really don't miss this place."

"Neither do I…all the more reason to do what we came for and get out of here. I don't want to be here any longer than need be." Reiki gave another scoff at his Sentouki's cool even tone; for some reason everything about the taller man had been getting on his nerves lately but Reiki continued to chalk it up to the added stress of all the training they had been doing.

"Well let's get going then."

The red head then began to make his way rather quickly down the hill and towards the large wall around the campus, with his partner close in toe. Once they reached the bottom of the hill, they quickly retreated into the shadow of the large wall and began their mission. They slowly began to make their way around the entire complex, in utter silence, while taking in every sight and sound in hopes of finding some sort of flaw in the wall or any way into the complex. They circled for what felt like an hour or more and both were beginning to become frustrated with their lack of progress; it was starting to look to them as if there was no other way into the campus besides the heavily guarded front gate. After another ten minutes or so of searching and groping helplessly in the dark, Sasuke finally stopped dead in his tracks when he found himself in front of a small very old rusty iron gate. He quickly reached his hand out behind him to signal to his Sacrifice to stop but due to the darkness of the night, Reiki simply ran into his hand instead.

"Hey what gives?" Reiki spoke in the softest whisper that he could muster and was met with an even softer one from the tall man in front of him.

"I found a gate. It looks like it might have been a back entrance at some point, or maybe a long abandoned escape route."

"Either way, it looks like our best bet; I can't figure out any other way in."

"Yeah, I think this is our way in. Let's head back to-"Sasuke's whispered words were abruptly cut off by a giggle and then a voice that sent chills down both their spines.

"Well well well…look who it is. Ageless back at the academy once again….and here I thought you had been dead this whole time." Sasuke and Reiki both then jumped out from the shadows away from the wall and looked toward the direction of the voice. They both looked up to see the blue haired scientist perched high upon the wall with two shadowy figures standing on either side of her. The sight caused anger to quickly boil up in Sasuke's gut, in turn causing him to let out a deep growl.

"Nagisa…."

"Aww you remember me! How sweet." The woman then let out a long mocking laugh.

"We could never forget a monster like you!" Nagisa seemed to simply ignore this insult and continued on with her smug laughter.

"Did you two really think you could just waltz up to the academy and get in unseen? You really do continue to underestimate me." The taller man then retorted with a small smug laugh of his own.

"Or maybe it's you that is underestimating us." Both boys now allowed very conceded grins to cross their faces and Reiki stepped forward slightly to be right by Sasuke's side with his arms crossed confidently.

"Oh really? Well…let's see about that shall we? Kinka…Ginka…" The woman then gave a snap of her fingers and the two figures besides her leaped off of the wall and landed only a few feet in front of the boys, causing them both to jump back slightly preparing for battle. Once the shrouded duo hit the ground, Nagisa gave another snap of her fingers and two large spotlights illuminated the area, bringing the foe out of the darkness. Sasuke and Reiki could now clearly see the smug looking duo standing side by side in front of them. Once they were in sight, Reiki was quick to speak out.

"And just who the hell are you?" The mysterious duo gave a pair of sly grins before the dark skinned man replied with his partners hand clasped tightly in his own.

"We are Sleepless…and we will envelope you in endless darkness." This statement caused Sasuke to widen his stance and Reiki to leap slightly to be just behind his Sentouki. Sasuke then replied in a calm tone.

"We are Ageless…and we may never age…but we are not afraid of the dark." This earned a smug scoff from the dark skinned man.

"I see…well then…we declare this to be a battle of spells!"

"We accept!" With that and one last giggle from the woman still perched on the wall, the battle radius expanded and the spells began to fly from the olive skinned man at lightning speed.

" _Absolute darkness! Cover everything in blackness!"_ True to his word, neither Sasuke nor Reiki even flinched when the lights blew out and the moon faded away in the darkness.

" _Illuminate! Bright stars break through the darkness and expose our enemy!"_ Much to Sleepless's displeasure, this spell quickly shattered the darkness with the light of a thousand stars in the night sky, causing the man to growl in frustration.

" _Incinerate! Let the stars burn our enemy alive!"_ The stars that lit the sky then began to grow brighter and brighter until it looked as though it was daylight and the blinding light quickly enveloped Reiki before Sasuke could defend causing a chained cuff to clamp firmly onto the red head's right wrist. Despite the pain, he didn't cry out or even flinch but instead called orders to his Sentouki when he looked back at him.

"Focus Sasuke! Attack!"

"Right." He then whipped back around to face the foe. " _Penetrate! A thousand bloody needles pierce through the enemy!"_ This spell sent an array of bright glowing needles flying toward the tall dark haired woman.

" _Negate!"_  The defense came too late and woman cried out as the needles sent blood flying in all directions before two restraints locked onto her wrists. "Ginka!"

"Nn…I'm fine Kinka…don't let up. Destroy them!" Kinka then scrunched his face in anger as he sent his next attack.

" _Rend! Rip the enemy to shreds!"_

" _Denied! Your attacks won't reach here!"_  Sasuke's defense came just in time to stop the attack causing Kinka to scowl and clench his fists. Sasuke then watched on as he looked over to the woman beside him who gave him a determined nod as if silently giving an order. Sasuke paid no mind to this however and continued his assault feeling as though he was fighting for more than just their safety…but for their pride. He was determined to crush the unit before him to prove that he was more than a failed experiment but a force to be reckoned with.

" _Absolute destruction! Destroy everything and leave nothing but dust!"_ This sent a massive glowing wave of energy rushing toward the pair in front of them but before it could reach them, the woman called out to her Sentouki.

"Do it now Kinka! I'm ready!" The man then smirked widely before speaking at lightning speed.

" _Substitution! Destroy the enemy with their own hands!"_ These words shot fear through Sasuke's heart and he could only watch on helplessly as the woman instantly traded places with Reiki, causing his powerful attack to land hard upon his own Sacrifice. Then within the blink of eye, the red head fell to the ground completely restrained and unconscious.

"Victory." The battle radius then dissolved away and Reiki's limp body was transported back to Sasuke's side while Ginka's restraints were released and she too was returned to her Sentouki's side. Despite the state of his Sacrifice, Sasuke remained perfectly still and expressionless as Nagisa jumped down from the wall to stand between Kinka and Ginka once again. There was then a tense silence before Kinka turned to Nagisa and spoke as if Sasuke wasn't even there.

"So what do you want us to do with them Sensei?" Nagisa then spoke in a cold tone while looking Sasuke directly in the eye.

"Leave them alone with their defeat. They are no threat to us."

"Yes ma'am." The three of them then calmly turned and began walking toward the front of the campus and it was only a short moment before they disappeared completely in the darkness. Once they vanished, Sasuke remained frozen where he was with his hands placed in his pockets and the exact same expressionless face until a familiar voice rang through his ears causing him to snap out of his pose.

"Sasuke! Reiki!" Sasuke then looked up with a slightly puzzled expression to see his petite blonde landlord descending upon them on a pair of large black wings. As soon as she was firmly planted on the ground, he watched as the wings folded up and disappeared and the girl drop down to her knees to tend to the limp red head on the ground.

"Wings?" This simple statement caused Saiyuri to look up at him with an angry expression.

"Never mind that! What happened?!"

"Nagisa discovered us and she brought a pair of attack dogs with her. We ended up having to battle."

"Oh no! This is bad!" Sasuke was genuinely perplexed by the girl's level of intensity; Reiki had taken a beating like this several times before and came out just fine.

"He will be fine. He will probably be sore tomorrow though." The man's calm tone was finally enough to push Saiyuri to her breaking point and she suddenly snapped.

"It is not alright idiot! You don't understand! You two accidently severed your bond when you screwed up that spell…permanently!"

"What?"

"You heard me!" The girl then bent down and pressed her ear firmly against the red heads chest while placing two of her small fingers firmly on his wrist. "Damnit!"

"What?"

"He barely has a heartbeat! And his pulse is weak. He needs help."

"Ok. What do you want me to do?" Saiyuri then gave an angry scowl at the taller man's still calm cool tone as she picked the boy's body up off the ground and cradled him in her arms.

"I'm going to take him to Soubi's, just meet me there and try to hurry dumbass."

"Ok."

Sasuke then took a small step back as the girl's large wings reemerged from her back and with a few large flaps she jolted up into the sky. Once she had taken off, Sasuke calmly turned and began to walk toward the main road to hail a cab deciding that it would be faster than walking. Once on the road, it wasn't long before a cab pulled over and Sasuke climbed inside. He then gave the driver the address and the man took off toward Soubi and Ritsuka's home.

Meanwhile, high above the ground, Saiyuri flew franticly as fast as she could all the while doing her best to try and shake the boy in her arms in an attempt to wake him up. The only relief she could find in that moment was in the fact that Soubi lived much closer to the academy than she did. She could then only hope that Soubi would know what to do.

After a short flight Saiyuri arrived, extremely tired and out of breathe, in front of Soubi and Ritsuka's home. She quickly landed and folded up her wings before running up to the door and banging on it desperately. It was only a few seconds before the tall blonde opened the door.

"Soubi! Please help! They battled one of Nagisa's units and it looks like Reiki got taken down really hard! His heartbeat is faint and his breathing is starting to slow down!" Soubi was quick to respond and swiftly took the boy from her arms and rushed him inside with Saiyuri following close behind. Once inside, Soubi gently placed Reiki's limp body onto the large couch and it wasn't long at all before the commotion brought Ritsuka out of the studio where he was researching. Ritsuka gasped in horror at what he saw. After hearing what Soubi had said on the phone earlier, he was expecting the worse. He quickly rushed over to the couch and fell to his knees on the floor in front of it.

"Soubi! Is he ok?!" Before answering Soubi checked the red heads pulse and checked his breathing.

"It doesn't look good. His heartbeat is fading fast." He then turned to look at the distraught girl next to Ritsuka on the floor. "Saiyuri, do you know exactly what happened? Or what spell he was hit with?"

"N-no…I…I didn't make it in time to see…" There were now large tears streaming down the girls cheeks and her heart was in a full panic. Soubi then gave a worried grimace at this answer.

"I'll do what I can but it is hard to know what to do if I don't know what he was hit with…" Just then Ritsuka and Saiyuri jumped slightly as the front door slowly opened to reveal the calm taller man who entered the house and walked to stand over the couch. After taking a quick glance at the lifeless boy on the couch, Sasuke looked to Soubi with a blank expression.

"Absolute destruction. That's what delivered the last blow." Soubi gave a questioning expression at this.

"Hmm..even with your bond severed, it seems odd that a mid-level attack would have this kind of effect." There was then a short silence before Sasuke spoke in a low cool voice.

"I was the one that cast the spell." This shocked even Soubi and earned loud gasps from the duo on the floor. Soubi did his best to remain his composure in order to figure out what to do.

"What do you mean?"

"They used Substitution so my spell hit him instead of the foe." This left Ritsuka and Saiyuri in a stunned silence and caused Soubi the rub the bridge of his nose in frustrated thought.

"That is not good. The fact that your bond was severed and then you cast spell upon your own Sacrifice means that…well let's just say that it is extremely hard on the body when that happens to a unit whose bond is intact."

"I see. Well can you do anything for him?" This caused Ritsuka to finally snap out of his silence to add in.

"Yeah…Soubi….can you help him?" Soubi then let out a long sigh.

"I'll do what I can." Soubi then leaned down once again to listen to the boy's breathing. After a short moment his head then shot up causing Ritsuka to panic.

"Soubi what's wrong?! What happened?!" Soubi then quickly laced his fingers together and began pressing down firmly on Reiki's chest at a steady pace.

"His breathing and his heart have stopped!" Ritsuka then leaped up from the floor in a panic as he watched on as Soubi tried to restart the boy's heart.

"Soubi! Please save him!"

Soubi then began to show his panic as he picked up the pace of his compressions. He continued this for a moment before moving one hand to plug the red heads nose and the other to open his mouth. Soubi then began to exhale large breathes into Reiki's lungs. Upon seeing this Saiyuri also shot up from the floor to hover the couch with tears still filling her eyes hoping and praying that her friend would pull through. Soubi then began alternating between giving Reiki mouth to mouth and pressing down onto his chest; all the while Sasuke simply watched calmly on the scene unfolding before him. Soubi continued this for several minutes before stopping suddenly and standing to his feet. Saiyuri and Ritsuka were then hanging on baited breath for any word from the tall blonde until Ritsuka finally spoke out to ask the terrifying question.

"I-is he ok Soubi…" Soubi then looked to his Sacrifice with a solemn expression.

"He…he is dead."

**TBC**


	37. Mourning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello hello! I sincerely apologize for my long absence. Ive just been busy busy busy but thank you all for hangin in there! Please enjoy!

"N-no…he can't be dead…Soubi, do something!" Ritsuka screamed at the tall blonde with large tears streaming down his cheeks while Saiyuri stood motionless and silent in shock next to him and Sasuke merely stood behind the couch, arms crossed with a calm expression.

"Ritsuka…there isn't anything else I can do…I'm sorry." Soubi's voice was now audibly shaky as he too was very upset by this unfortunate turn of events.

"No! There has to be something!" Ritsuka now had his fists clenched in anger and his eyes shut tight to avoid the sight of the lifeless body on the couch. His screams were only met with silence however, until an idea popped into his head and his eyes flew open. "Soubi! Try electrocuting him!" This completely shocked the blonde.

"What are you talking about?!"

"Yeah that has to work! Like they do at the hospital to shock someone's heart! Except we can engage a battle and you can use an electric spell to shock him and restart his heart." Soubi's eyes grew wide at this and he thought the idea through quickly in his head.

"That just might work…but we have to hurry." He then turned to the tall dark haired man that still stood behind the couch. "Sasuke, we challenge you to a battle of spells!" Ritsuka then also quickly turned toward Sasuke, ready to give this desperate idea a try. They both stood in silence for what felt like years waiting for the tall man to speak and accept their challenge. Once he was being stared down by the desperate duo, Sasuke glared up directly into Soubi's eyes before replying.

"I decline." This caused all three of the others mouths to drop open in shock, but it was Ritsuka who was the first to retort.

"Sasuke! What the hell is the matter with you! This may be the only chance we have to save Reiki and we need to hurry! So stop screwing around!" Despite Ritsuka's efforts, Sasuke merely shifted his glare toward him and answered in a slightly dark tone.

"No."

"But why?!"

"Because I don't want to save him. Frankly, I'm glad he is gone."

This again shocked everyone, but no one more than Saiyuri. These words violently broke her from her frozen state and before anyone knew what was happening, she had landed an incredibly hard punch to the broody man's face, knocking him onto his behind on the floor. Soubi and Ritsuka then only watched on in shock as she slowly moved to stand over Sasuke before leaning down slightly and yanking him up by his shirt collar to be face to face with him. She then spoke in an incredibly eerie voice that they had never heard from the small girl before.

"H-How dare you….How dare you say that! He is your Sacrifice! Your partner! Your only reason for breathing should be to protect that boy! How can you call yourself a Sentouki when you act so cold and indifferent as your Sacrifice dies right before your eyes?!" Sasuke then looked up into the girls fierce eyes with a cool stare and spoke in a soft voice.

"He was my Sacrifice Saiyuri…but he isn't anymore…he hasn't been for a long time." This caused a low growl from the small girl before she began landing blow after blow onto the Sasuke's face at point blank range. Instead of fighting however, he simply allowed the girl to work out her frustrations until Soubi finally picked her up from behind by her sweatshirt. Once she was dangling in the air, she stopped swinging and kicking after a few moments and then broke down into large sobs.

"Ritsuka, take Saiyuri into the studio for a few minutes. Help her calm down. I'm going to stay in here and talk to Sasuke."

Ritsuka was still slightly stunned but was coherent enough to nod slowly at his Sentouki before ushering the girls under his arm as soon as Soubi placed her back on her feet. He then slowly and carefully led her away from the scene and into the quiet study, shutting the door behind them. Once the door was closed, Soubi turned his attention to man lying on the floor. He took a few large steps to be standing next to him, looking down into his blank expression.

"Get up." Soubi spoke in a very firm and slightly angry tone and Sasuke did as he was told, like a puppy who had just been scolded. "Now…first, say your goodbye to him." This earned a small scowl from the dark haired man.

"No. I don't see the point in it." This only deepened Soubi's anger but he did his best to stay firm instead of angry.

"Look Sasuke…I'm going to get to the bottom of all this, but regardless of what you're are feeling right now or what has happened in your past…Reiki was your Sacrifice. And at one time, you would have given your life for him, but regardless of how you feel now…it is a matter of respect. The least you can do for him is to give him a proper goodbye." This caused another low growl from the man as he shot Soubi a fiery glare.

"Fine."

"Good. Say your goodbye…I'll be right back."

"Yeah yeah." Sasuke then slowly sauntered over to the red heads lifeless body on the couch and watched as Soubi left the room. He then simply stood over the boy's body for moment, taking in the sight entirely. He then let out a very long sigh before speaking.

"Reiki…it's strange but…I know there was a time that I loved you, cared for you, fought for you, and would have happily died for you. But…I can't seem to remember those feelings at all now. All I feel now is relief…relief that you are gone." The man then clenched his fists in anger and gritted his teeth as he growled lowly through them. "I don't know why…why I feel this way. I know that I was your Sentouki and I know I should care but….I just don't." He then took a deep breath before raising one of his large hands and gently closing Reiki's eyes. "Goodbye Reiki. I'm sorry that I feel nothing…I'm sorry that I failed you…"

With his final thoughts now spoken aloud to the small frame on the sofa, Sasuke let out a long breathe before turning and taking a few steps over to the armchair across from the couch and taking a seat. He was only granted a few short moments of silence before the tall blonde reentered the room with his arms full of neatly folded white sheets. The sight caused Sasuke to stir slightly in his chair and shift his weight to be leaning forward to address Soubi.

"What are those for?" Sasuke's voice had now returned to its usual cool calm tone.

"To wrap him in…so that we can give him a proper burial." This caused Sasuke to silently get up from the chair and walk over to Soubi, and gently take the sheets from his arms. He then spoke in a low ominous tone to the blonde.

"If you want to give him a funeral….then fine. I'll wrap him, go get the brats." Normally Soubi would have immediately scolded Sasuke for daring to call his Ritsuka a brat, but considering the circumstances he simply let it go and made his way toward the studio in silence. Soubi gently knocked on the door before attempting to enter, not wanting to upset either of the fragile duo inside.

"Ritsuka, may I come in?" Soubi waited in a short silence before he heard Ritsuka's small voice call from behind the door.

"Yeah." Soubi then gently opened the door and entered the room before closing the door again behind him. Upon entering the room, he saw Ritsuka, with tear filled eyes, sitting on the floor propped up on his knees slightly with the small blonde girl crying into his lap. The sight broke his heart and all he wanted to do was run to them and comfort them both, but he knew he had to stay strong. Soubi slowly made his way over to the two small bodies on the floor and crouched down to be level with them and placed a large gentle hand on Saiyuri's back.

"Saiyuri, I know you are upset right now but in time, the pain will ease." Soubi spoke to her in a very tender voice that caused her to slowly lift her head from Ritsuka's lap and wipe the tears from her eyes.

"I know…I just…I just don't understand how Sasuke can be acting this way." Soubi let out a small sad sigh at this.

"Neither do it, but I promise I will get to the bottom of it." The girl then gave a few sniffles of her nose and wiped away the last of her tears and nodded slightly to the tall blonde.

"Ok." Soubi then gave both Saiyuri and Ritsuka a small warm smile before standing to his feet and extending a hand to each of them.

"Alright. Now, we should go give him a proper burial."

Ritsuka and Saiyuri both nodded in agreement and each took one of Soubi's hands and allowed themselves to be pulled from the floor gently. The two then silently followed Soubi out of the studio and back into the living room where they saw Sasuke standing patiently by the front door with Reiki's small body, now wrapped perfectly in the sheets, held in his arms. Upon noticing their presence, Sasuke turned his head slightly to face them with his usual expression.

"Well, are you all ready then?" The trio simply nodded silently in reply before following Sasuke out the front door and into the yard. Once outside, Soubi turned to Saiyuri and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Where would you like to bury him?" The girl looked up at him with a sad expression before replying in a soft voice.

"I think we should bury him at my place…he really liked playing in the woods behind the house." Soubi gave a warm smile at this idea.

"I think that sounds like a wonderful idea." Soubi and the others then turned to Sasuke to await a response, but when they laid eyes on him he shot them all a menacing glare before laying the red heads body onto the grass of the front yard. This action quickly sent red flags flying in Soubi's mind and he took a few steps toward the man.

"Sasuke…what are you doing?" Sasuke answered with another icy glare before replying.

"Step back." The icy stare was enough to frighten even Soubi slightly, so he tentatively took a few steps back to be standing by Ritsuka's side. The three of them then all watched on as Sasuke silently knelt down to the body on the ground and placed a large hand on the boy's chest.

" _Incinerate. Turn everything to ash."_

As the words flowed from the man's mouth, everything seemed to happen in slow motion to the small blonde girl standing at Ritsuka's side. She watched on in horror as the bubbly boy that she once knew, was consumed in flames and turned to ash right before her eyes. In reality, the whole ordeal lasted only a few seconds and when it was all over, all three spectators were in a stunned silence. They all stood frozen for a short moment before Saiyuri softly spoke to the man who had now stood from the pile of ashes that was now blowing in the wind.

"S-Sasuke…why…why did you do that?" Sasuke let out a long sigh before stepping over to where the trio stood to answer the small girl.

"He wanted it this way."

"W-what do you mean?"

"After running away from the academy, we both made a promise to each other that if anything ever happened to either of us that the other would burn the body. We didn't want to take any chance that Nagisa might find our bodies and use them for one of her experiments." This answer surprisingly enough, actually brought the smallest smile to the girls face; it was a small comfort to see that Sasuke still held love for Reiki somewhere deep in his heart.

"I see."

"Besides, burying him would just be a hassle anyway." This smug retort once again lit a fiery anger inside Saiyuri and Ritsuka could see her clench her fists as she fought back tears once again. Soubi also noticed this and saw a confrontation on the horizon so he quickly tried to break the tension and spoke to the small girl.

"Saiyuri, I'm sure this changes your plan slightly…so what is the new plan?" Luckily this refocused the girls attention to the bigger picture and she slowly exhaled and relaxed her muscles before replying.

"Well that still depends on how the recon went." She then turned to the cross armed man a few feet in front of her. "So Sasuke, did you two at least find us a way in?"

"Yes and no."

"Well which is it? I'm in no mood to play around."

"Well we found what looked like an old abandoned exit that might still lead into the building, but I don't know for sure if it does still go into the building and even if it did, that's where we were attacked by Nagisa so she will surely have that blocked off by now. So basically, no." The earned a frustrated sigh from the small blonde.

"Great…" The girl then lowered her head in defeat before the subtle sound of Ritsuka's voice pulled her attention.

"It's ok Saiyuri, I'm sure we can think of a way in."

"Yeah…"The girls voice was still audibly defeated and she once again lowered her head, this time to be very deep in thought. They all stood in silence in the front yard for a few moments before Saiyuri's head shot up with a smile.

"I've got it!" Ritsuka was so relieved to see her smile and became very anxious to hear the new plan.

"Well what is it Saiyuri?"

"We can't talk about it here; we need to go back to my place."

"Ok. Soubi and I can meet you there" Ritsuka was now getting more and more anxious, but his excitement was quickly cut short by the small girl.

"Hang on a second…I need you and Soubi to do something before we go."

"Ok, what is it?"

"Well…we are going through with the plan tomorrow so everyone is going to need to know the plan. So I need you to gather up everyone we have." Ritsuka and Soubi were both a little surprised by this but Ritsuka decided to inquire further.

"You want us to get everybody to your place right now?"

"You got it!"

"Ok…I'm sure we can get ahold of all the Zeros but, Yuiko and Yayoi are at the academy…" This earned him a sly grin from the girl.

"Yes...but, they have phones don't they?"

"Well yeah…"

"Ok then call them. Tell them how to get to my place and tell them that it is of the upmost importance and I'm sure they will find a way. I mean…if Sasuke can get Reiki's loud mouth out the building, I'm sure Yayoi is more than capable of sneaking them out." Ritsuka couldn't help but to let out a small chuckle at the girls confidence.

"Ok, you're probably right."

"I usually am." Soubi then joined in with a small smile, being relieved to see the girl returning to her normal bubbly self despite the awful events of the night.

"Well Ritsuka and I will call everyone right away and let them know where to go; then we will meet you there."

"Ok. I am going to fly home and Sasuke can take a cab and hopefully everyone will arrive at the same time." Ritsuka gave a happy nod at this but Soubi on the other hand, cut in with a firm tone.

"No. Sasuke will ride with us." The blonde then shot the other man a serious glare. "I need to talk with him." Saiyuri was admittedly a little taken aback by this but decided it was best not to question.

"Ok Soubi, whatever you say; as long you get everyone to my place as soon as possible."

"We will."

"Ok then, I'm off boys. Please do hurry." The small girl then raised her hood over her head before muttering her spell under her breath and taking off seamlessly into the air, leaving the three boys alone with nothing but a tense atmosphere. As soon as Saiyuri was far out of sight, Soubi turned to his Sacrifice with a smile.

"Well let's go inside and call everyone." Ritsuka was more than happy to oblige and promptly followed Soubi back into the house, looking over his shoulder only once to make sure that Sasuke was following as well. Once they were all safely inside, Soubi let out a long breathe before turning to address the duo that were now standing behind him in the entry way.

"Ok, Ritsuka you call Yamato and Kouya and then Yuiko and Yayoi. Make sure that you give them detailed instructions on how to get to Saiyuri's; but when you call Yuiko, try to keep the call as short as possible, we don't want to take any chance of getting them caught."

"Right!" Ritsuka then gave a big grin before running up to the master bedroom where he had left his cell phone. Once Ritsuka was out of sight, Soubi turned his attention to the dark haired man in front of him.

"I'm going to contact the Zero boys." Soubi's tone had now reverted to a very firm one, bringing back all the tension to the room.

"And what would you like for me to do?" Soubi was immediately annoyed with Sasuke's overly sarcastic tone and replied with an almost angry tone.

"You can just sit there and wait patiently. Think you can manage that?" The blonde was met with only a gruff sigh as Sasuke begrudgingly did as he was told and took a seat on the large couch, crossing his arms in pissed off manner. Soubi couldn't help but to let out a barely audible chuckle at the man that was now pouting on his couch like a child, before slipping away into his studio to call Youji and Natsuo, leaving Sasuke alone with his thoughts.

Once Sasuke was alone, he couldn't help but let his mind wander to the events that had played out not only that evening but everything that had been happening between him and his late Sacrifice for the past few weeks. The more he thought however, the more frustrated he became. It seemed as though no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't even remember any of the good times they had shared to together. He could feel all his memories of the boy slowly fading away but what baffled him the most was the overwhelming feeling of apathy he felt toward the red head and his death. He couldn't understand why he felt no guilt, no pain, no misery, he felt simply nothing. He became consumed with thoughts and questions and he just couldn't seem to shake the feeling that something was off about the entire situation. He was pulled away from his thoughts however when the tall blonde remerged from the studio. He followed the blonde with his eyes until Soubi took a seat in the chair opposite him.

"Well, Youji and Natsuo were awake luckily and will meet us there by cab shortly."

"Alright" Just then before another word could be spoken, Ritsuka made his way happily down the stairs with a large grin on his face. The boy promptly made his way over to his Sentouki before plopping himself down in his lap and looking up at him with a smile.

"Yamato and Kouya are getting in the car now to meet us there and I was able to get ahold of Yayoi and he said that he would go wake up Yuiko right away and sneak them out of the academy. He said that he knows the guards routes really well so they should be able to slip by no problem." Soubi gave a warm smile at this and placed a gentle kiss on the top of the boys head.

"Good, I'm glad. We should probably get going then."

"Mmhmm." Ritsuka then quickly lifted himself from Soubi's lap and ran over to put on his heavy winter coat that Yamato and Kouya had given him. Soubi was quick to follow and rose from his chair before making his way over to the entry way to put on his coat. The duo was both fully dressed and ready to go when they looked over to find Sasuke still sitting quietly on the couch. Soubi was quickly becoming more and more frustrated with this man and was quick to almost bark at him.

"Hey! Are you coming? We don't have all night and everyone will be on their way shortly. Saiyuri will be upset if we take any longer than necessary." Again Soubi was given an angry scoff as Sasuke leisurely rose from his seat and walked over to join them in the entry way.

"Well let's get going then." Sasuke's tone was still a very annoyed one but Soubi was slightly relieved that he was at least doing as he asked.

"Alright."

The trio then made their way to Soubi's car where the blonde opened up the passenger side front door before ushering in his petite Sacrifice, leaving Sasuke to make his own way into the backseat. Once everyone was inside the car, Soubi started the engine and began their drive to Kazuka Manor. The drive started out in complete silence but it wasn't long before Soubi finally decided to attempt to figure out what exactly happened only less than an hour earlier that night. He turned his gaze into the rear view mirror to address the man in the backseat.

"Sasuke, let's talk about what happened."

"What about it?"

"Well, as I said before, Reiki was killed by your spell because of the fact that your bond with your Sacrifice had been permanently severed."

"Yeah. What's your point?"

"Well I think you and I both would like to know why you reacted, or more accurately didn't react, to his death."

"Maybe I do want to know, have any theories professor?" Soubi did his best to remain calm and brush off the man's snide comments.

"Well I do have one theory."

"Ok well let's hear it." There was then a short silence before Soubi continued.

"Sasuke, before Reiki's death you could always see the fine thread that tied you to him correct?"

"Yeah, every battle pair can see that."

"Well do me a favor and close your eyes and try to see that thread now." There was then another silence as Sasuke did in fact close his eyes and began searching for the delicate filament that once always led him to his Sacrifice. "Do you see it?"

"Yes…"

"Well, what does it look like? Where does it lead now?" Sasuke then opened his eyes with a slightly surprised expression.

"The thread is glowing red, as if it's on fire. And…it only leads back to me. I can see it wrap around me before connecting back to my own body."

"Hmm…just as I suspected."

"What are you talking about?" Soubi then let out a short sigh before replying.

"Well…it would seem that Nagisa's blind hatred toward Sacrifices has led her to put something extra in your genetic make-up."

"Something extra?" Ritsuka was now sitting on the edge of his seat as he listened intently to what the two were saying.

"Yes. When she created the Zero girls, Kouya and Yamato, she put in a defense mechanism of sorts in the Sentouki. This mechanism allows for the Sentouki to be able to take on as many new Sacrifices as they please. But in order for her to do this without the bond of the two getting in the way, she had to make sure that the bond could be severed without any remorse from the Sentouki. Ritsuka and I saw this backfire when Kouya refused to let her Sacrifice go even after several attempts to replace her."

"Ok so what does that have to do with me?"

"Well it looks like she installed the same thing in your DNA; but it also looks like she made some adjustments when it comes to you…from what I can tell, she somehow altered your DNA so that in the case of the death of your Sacrifice, you would feel no pain and would even slowly lose all memories of that Sacrifice. This would make it much easier for her to pair you with another blank one without any protest. That's why your thread is now centered purely on yourself." Ritsuka couldn't help but to gasp lightly at this; he knew that Nagisa liked to play dirty, but he never imagined she would do such a thing. Sasuke however didn't seem to be very surprised by this at all.

"Well that all makes sense I suppose…but there isn't a whole lot a can do about it then is there?"

"No, I'm afraid not…"

"I see. Well I accept this fate and will deal with it on my own."

"I understand."

The car was then once again filled with silence and Ritsuka slumped back in his seat before letting out a small sigh. Everything that had happened was just now sinking in and he was doing his best to keep his composure and even tried to keep himself distracted by watching the moonlit scenery wiz by. As he stared out of the window, a small worry popped into his head as he remembered what Soubi had just said about the thread that binds a Sentouki and a Sacrifice. He then thought back to the night when he had become trapped in the academy during a training exercise when he first learned about that thread. He couldn't fight the sinking feeling in his gut when he remembered that at that time he could see his own thread no matter how hard he had tried. He then suddenly had an epiphany as he realized that he had never even attempted to find his thread since then. Upon this realization he took a deep breath before gently closing his eyes and focusing all his energy on locating his thread. After a short moment, an amazing sight danced before his closed eyes. He could see his thread for the first time in his life and what he saw made his heart melt with joy. There coming right from the center of his chest where his cracked name lay sprawled across his flesh, was not a fine filament but a brilliant golden glowing thread. And much to his relief, this unbelievable beautiful thread, when traced all the way to the end, led directly to the tall handsome blonde seated next to him. This reaffirmed everything that Ritsuka felt deep down in his heart toward his Sentouki. This was an assurance that Soubi was his true partner, his one and only Sentouki and true love. He was then snapped out of his daze by the feeling of a gentle hand being placed in his thigh. When he opened his eyes, he found himself entranced by the tall blonde's warm smile and soft tender whisper.

"It is beautiful isn't it? The thread that eternally bonds us together." Ritsuka's cheeks flushed slightly at this and he simply couldn't hold back his smile as butterflies filled his stomach.

"Yes…it truly is."

**TBC**


	38. The Plan Reveled

It was well after midnight and the snow had begun to fall fervently whilst being whipped around by the winter winds, by the time Saiyuri's small rag-tag army had all gathered somewhat sluggishly into her large lavish living area. Once everyone settled into a seat, some of them still dressed only in their pajamas, Saiyuri stopped to take a moment to look over this seemingly normal group of people gathered in her home. She became entranced with the thought that all these people, from different walks of life, ages and backgrounds were all now here for her sake…to follow her word and were willing to put themselves in harm's way to make a change in their world. The thought brought a large smile to her face that grew even larger when she glanced over to the love seat to see Ritsuka sitting happily on his Sentouki's lap with a smile waiting for her to let them all in on her plan. She then gave the group one last short moment to finish their small talk with their partners and their few scattered yawns before clearing her throat loudly and stepping up to be standing on the large oak coffee table in the center of the room with her hands placed proudly at her hips and her ear standing at perfect attention. This quickly drew the room into a silence and focused everyone's attention firmly on the small blonde before them.

"Alright! First of all, I would like to thank you all for coming here so late on such short notice; I would not have called on you if it wasn't urgent. I would also like to personally thank you all from the bottom of my heart for joining in our cause to begin with. Now, I haven't personally met all of you yet and I know most of you don't exactly know why you have been asked to take part in something when you don't even know how or why. So let me quickly shed some light on the situation. My name is Saiyuri Kazuka but my true name is Bondless, one that shares no bond; I was born without a Sacrifice. For this reason, years ago, professor Nagisa kidnapped and tortured my parents, Fearless, and Ritsu Minami murdered them in cold blood." This caused a series of small gasps from the pairs who were learning this for the first time; but Kouya was especially affected. As soon as her mind made the connection between her idols and the small girl standing on a table before her, she couldn't help but to quickly shoot from her seat and speak out.

"Y-you are the daughter of Fearless…?" At first, this outburst took Saiyuri by surprise, until she remembered the day when she watched over Ritsuka when he met with this girl and her Sacrifice in that café. She then remembered all the things that this girl said about her parents and she was quickly filled with warmth; this is the girl she had wanted to meet very badly. Saiyuri then silently stepped down from the table and made her way over to where Kouya was standing with wide eyes. Kouya was then very surprised when the small blonde threw her arms around her, locking her in a gentle hug.

"You must be Kouya." Saiyuri then released the other girl to look her straight in the face with watery eyes. "Yes, Fearless where my parents and I miss and love them very much. I've heard so much about you and the way you looked up to my parents and I can't tell you how much it means to me and to them that you are here now fighting to avenge their deaths." Saiyuri then watched on as small tears began to well up in Kouya's eyes and slowly trickle down her cheeks from underneath her glasses.

"I-I'm so sorry for what happened…I wish I could have stopped it… I should have done something...I should ha-" Her words were quickly cut off by the blonde.

"No Kouya, there is nothing you could have done. What matters now is that you are here and that you have a partner that supports you."

"You are right…thank you." Saiyuri then gave the girl a warm smile.

"You don't need to thank me for anything. Just keeping their memory alive is thanks enough. But, if you would like, when this is all over with I would love to sit down and tell you all about them." This brought a large smile to Kouya's face and caused her to wipe the few tears from her eyes.

"I would really like that." Saiyuri then gave the girl one last hug before returning to her post perched up on the table.

"Moving right along then! To make a long story short, the plan is to take the academy by force and permanently dispose of both Ritsu and Nagisa and…we go on the offensive tomorrow evening. But please be aware that there will almost certainly be a strong resistance and you will all end up having to battle, probably several times. Now, Ritsuka and I have talked about how we are going to handle this and we have decided that we should go about this properly. By that I mean that you should all avoid battling any of the normal students if at all possible, they are innocent in all of this. But if you should have to battle students, I ask that you try not to harm them. Restrain them as quickly and as painlessly as possible and move on. Now if you happen to encounter any of Ritsu or Nagisa's personally employed units then you should use any force needed to win the battle. Does everyone understand?" Saiyuri then quickly scanned the small crowd as they all gave a nod in agreement.

"Good. Now on to the most important part, how we will make our way into the academy and who will be stationed where and with what duties. I have given a lot of thought as to how to play into each of your strengths to determine your roles which I will assign now so please pay attention." Everyone then simultaneously leaned in close to pay extra close attention to their duties. "But before we go any further, I have one last warning for all of you…" This left everyone, with the exception of Soubi, Ritsuka and Sasuke who already knew what was coming, literally holding their breathe with anticipation. "I'm sure you are all aware of the obvious dangers of this mission but I must tell you that things may have become more dangerous than previously expected. Earlier this evening I sent my good friends Sasuke and Reiki on a mission to find a way into the academy and they were ambushed by Nagisa." The small blonde then paused for a short moment to take a deep breath. "And in the course of the battle…Reiki was killed. It is now very clear that Nagisa and Ritsu will stop at nothing to capture me and secure their control of the academy. That being said…if you no longer wish to participate, this would be the time to leave and no one would blame you." Saiyuri then paused to scan the crowd with a stern expression. She waited for a short moment to give anyone a chance to leave if they wished. Suddenly out of the silence, Ritsuka spoke firmly to the small blonde.

"Soubi and I are behind you until the end Saiyuri." His statement was followed by Kouya.

"Yamato and I are also with you." The affirmations then came one after another.

"Yayoi and I want to help. We will do whatever it takes."

"You already know that I'm with you Saiyuri. I lost my Sacrifice tonight and a price must be paid."

"Yeah! Nagisa is just a sadistic lunatic parading around as a scientist. Natsuo and I just want to see her squirm." There was then another short silence as Saiyuri looked upon the sea of determined faces with a smile.

"I am so happy to hear that from all of you and I know that in the end…we will win!" This caused a short cheer from the group before everyone quieted down once again to await their assignments from the blonde.

"Well alright then! Let's see…Youji and Natsuo." As soon as their names were spoken, their ears perked up and their attention became completely focused. "I've been studying you two and your fighting style. You are very fast and your attacks are very strong and ferocious. I think that makes you a perfect match to secure Nagisa. So your only goal is to find and then capture her at all costs. I also think that you hold an advantage being that you are Zero and none of the units she can throw at you will be able to harm you. Knowing her, she will eventually back herself into a corner and that is when you will have the advantage; with her guards defeated, she will be defenseless and become our prisoner easily. Sound good?" This caused the mischievous duo to look at each other with sinister smiles before looking back to the girl on the table with wide grins.

"Definitely. She won't know what hit her. Natsuo and I will have no problem taking her down."

"I didn't think so. Now I know I agreed to let you have first dibs on her but the only thing I'll ask of you is that you bring her to me alive."

"Yeah I suppose we can manage that."

"Great! Now moving right along, next we will need someone to act as crowd control. I think Kouya and Yamato would be perfect for this. From what I've gathered, your spells are wicked accurate and you are both very strategic. Now there will be most likely be a lot of chaos after everything begins and as soon as the chaos begins, I'm sure Nagisa and Ritsu will dispense their guards and battle units to control the situation. I'm going to need you two to incapacitate them in order to clear a path for the others and keep them at bay. Think you guys can handle that?" Kouya was very eager to answer this with a grin.

"Absolutely! Nagisa's guards won't be much of a challenge and any units she may send shouldn't be too much of a problem."

"Great! Now, Ritsuka and Soubi, you two have a very important task. We will need someone to get all of the students who choose to side with us to safety. Since you two are the only ones so far that have actually mastered the inoffensive spells, I think this is perfect for you. Your jobs will be to locate as many students as possible that are willing to surrender or join us and gather them all in the courtyard away from the heavy battle. Is that ok with you two?"

"Absolutely. I think between Soubi and I we can convince most of them without using force."

"My thoughts exactly." Ritsuka then paused for a moment as he thought about what the girl had just said.

"So you said to gather them all in the courtyard?"

"Yes."

"Ok and then what?"

"Just keep them there and keep them safe and calm until I meet you there. Be sure to be on your guard though; there is a chance that they may send units your way to try and retrieve the students."

"We can do it!"

"I know you can." Saiyuri then shot Ritsuka a wide grin before a cool voice rang through her ears.

"Hey, what about me?" Saiyuri turned her gaze away from Ritsuka to look at the broody dark haired man that was still leaning against a wall with his arms crossed.

"Yeah, sorry Sasuke…well originally I had planned for you and Reiki to break us in right through the front but considering the events of the evening…I think it would be best to have you on standby." Sasuke made a sneer at this feeling insulted.

"What do you mean?"

"Well you know that hill that overlooks the academy?"

"Yes."

"Well I feel like it would be best to have you wait there and keep watch over the entire event. You are an extremely strong fighter even without your Sacrifice so I feel as though having you watching over us as a backup could really come in handy. You will need to stand watch unless you see anyone of our team is in need of help, then I will need you to come to their aid. But if everything goes smoothly, then I need you to stay there until you see us all meet in the courtyard, then you will need to come join us immediately. I know it isn't exactly what you wanted…but everyone has to do their part for this to work." There was then a short pause for the dark haired man let out a small sigh.

"Fine…I suppose that isn't a horrible idea."

"Thank you Sasuke."

"Don't mention it."

There was then a short moment when the room was filled with determined smiles and anxious faces. But the bubble was abruptly popped by Ritsuka when he firmly addressed Saiyuri.

"Hey Saiyuri…"

"Yes?"

"You still haven't told us how to plan to get into the academy in the first place." The girl then pursed her lips while placing her index finger on her chin as if in thought.

"You are right and luckily I have that part all figured out."

"Awesome! What is your plan?" Everyone was also very anxious to hear this part and stared at the girl intently as her eyes scanned the room before falling onto the busty pink haired girl and her short partner.

"Well that is where you two come in Yuiko, Yayoi. This whole plan depends solely on you getting us in." Yuiko's eyes grew wide in a mixture of fear and anticipation at this and she stammered through her words.

"W-what do you mean…"

"Well isn't it true that Limitless is currently the unit assigned to my capture?"

"Y-yes."

"Well come tomorrow evening…you will have indeed captured me." This shocked everyone in the room but none more than Ritsuka and he was quick to cry out.

"You mean you are going to turn yourself in?! After everything you have gone through to stay out of their grasp you are just going to give in?! I don't understand Saiyuri!"

"Calm down Ritsuka, its ok. I know what I'm doing."

"I sure hope so…" Saiyuri then turned her gaze back toward the pink haired girl and her partner.

"So here is how this will work. Tomorrow just before sunset, I will meet you both in the park by your school and I will allow you capture me. But it must be convincing so unfortunately I will have to battle you." This finally caused Yayoi to protest.

"No! I won't allow you to hurt Yuiko!"

"Please don't worry. I won't harm Yuiko in any way but we must battle otherwise Ritsu will catch on far too easily. So we will battle but I lose. Then you two will be able to walk me right through the front door and right to Ritsu." Yayoi was calmed slightly by this and then he was admittedly impressed at this idea.

"I see, very clever."

"Thank you. So, as you are taking me in, everyone else needs to be ready and in their places. As soon as I see an opportunity, I will break free from you and from Ritsu's office and quickly make my way to allow everyone else into the academy. At that point, the alarms will surely sound and the battle will commence." An eerie calm then came over the room once the plan was fully reveled and everyone knew their place and their duties. In the silence, Saiyuri gazed up to the large grandfather clock standing against the back wall of the room and noticed that it was now well after two in the morning and she once again addressed the group.

"Alright! So if everyone knows their part, then I suggest you all go home and get some rest and make any preparations you may need. This will be no easy task but I truly believe that together we can make the impossible possible and together we can release all battle pairs from the tyranny of the Seven Moons." Saiyuri was then warmed to look once again upon a sea of fearless faces all nodding and smiling together. "It has been a pleasure to have met you all and I expect you all to be poised and ready around the academy at sunset…after that, I will see you all on the other side."

With that, the small blonde descended from her perch and said her goodbyes to each and every person as they each made their way out of the front door and toward their respective home. Ritsuka and Soubi were the last to make their way toward the door and as they did, Saiyuri said her good bye to the tall blonde before pulling his petite Sacrifice aside and embracing him in a warm hug.

"I can't thank you enough Ritsuka…none of this would have ever been possible without you." This caused Ritsuka to smile wide and hug the girl even tighter.

"You don't have to thank me. This is something that I want to do. Ritsu and Nagisa must pay for what they have don't to all of us…but honestly it is only because of you that we are all gathered together under one common goal and strengthened by the bond of friendship. Your parents would be so proud to see you now." This cause a single small tear to roll down the girl's cheek as she released the boy from her arms to allow him to leave.

"Thank you Ritsuka." She was answered simply by a warm smile as the small boy began to walk through the threshold of the door to catch up with his Sentouki. Just before he was out of reach however, she caught ahold of his arm gentling to stop him once more.

"Oh and Ritsuka….that necklace really does suit you." Ritsuka then caught a glimpse of something he hadn't seen before from the girl. As he looked back at her he could see a small but incredibly genuine and pure smile cross her face with just a hint of red covering her cheeks.

"And that smile really suits you."

**TBC**


	39. Calm Before the Storm

As had become increasingly commonplace, Soubi and Ritsuka's ride home was comfortably silent and made all the more peaceful by the gentle snowflakes still falling outside of the car window. The whole ride home however, Ritsuka kept his eyes fixed somewhere off into the distance as his mind was consumed with so many thoughts and fears of the events just over the horizon. This trance made it seem like it was only a few short moments before the tall blonde had opened the door and extended a gentle hand to him in silence before leading him into their home. Once they were safely inside out of the cold, Soubi removed his coat before gently removing Ritsuka's and hanging them both on the rack in the entryway. Soubi then turned to his Sacrifice to see that the boy was simply staring at his feet obviously lost in his thoughts.

"Ritsuka…" The soft sound of Soubi's voice drew the boy's eyes from the floor to look at his Sentouki.

"Yeah?"

"You want to tell me what's on your mind?" Ritsuka then let out a long sigh before replying in a slightly depressed tone.

"Well I've just been thinking…."

"Thinking what?"

"Well I guess I'm worried about tomorrow."

"What exactly are you worried about?"

"I thought that would be obvious…." Ritsuka then looked deeply in Soubi's eyes. "What if we don't make it out Soubi? What if our friends get hurt?"

"You shouldn't worry about that Ritsuka, we and our friends are stronger than you may think." Soubi's heart then began to throb in pain as small tears began to stream down Ritsuka's cheeks.

"But how can you be so sure Soubi?! I just can't even stand the thought of it! After all this time and everything I have been through, I have finally been happy. My name appeared and it matches yours Soubi…do you have any idea how much I wished for that every day?! Even all of our friends are happy now. Everything was finally perfect….but now….I just don't know how I would survive if something happened to you or to any of our friends." Ritsuka was now shaking as the tears began to fall more and more causing his cheeks to become stained red. Before Ritsuka was allowed to continue however, Soubi leaned down and took the boy's face gently in both of his hands, wiping away a few tears as he lifted his head slightly.

"Ritsuka, I understand that you are afraid but I am your Sentouki and you are my Sacrifice. That means that I will always protect you no matter what. As long as I am alive and breathing, nothing and no one will ever harm you or come between us." Ritsuka remained perfectly silent and his tears began to stop as he gazed into deep ocean blue eyes. "Our friends are no different in that manner. They all love each other and will protect each other. I think you will be surprised to see what people can really do when they have something worth fighting for. In the end Ritsuka, I will protect you at all costs. I would gladly give my life for you because without you, my life would have absolutely no purpose or meaning. A life without you Ritsuka would be empty and unbearable. Everything will work out my love, I promise."

Ritsuka was then completely overwhelmed in that moment and there were no words he could conjure. All he could do was throw his arms wildly around the blonde's neck pulling him into a deep desperate kiss. A few small tears of happiness slid down Ritsuka's face as he deepened their kiss as if his life depended on it. Soubi was more than happy to return his partners passion and gently pulled the boy closer to him by the small of his back causing him to moan slightly into their kiss. They stayed this way for a short blissful moment until Ritsuka pulled away gently.

"I love you Soubi…I love you so much."

"And I love you Ritsuka." Soubi then scooped the boy up into his arms in one flawless movement and brought Ritsuka's face within inches of his own before putting on a small smirk. "Would it be alight if I show you just how much?" This caused Ritsuka's cheeks to go red but this time not in embarrassment.

"I would love nothing more." Soubi could sense the subtle shift in Ritsuka's attitude and thought he would see just what all he could get away with.

"Actually now that I think about it…I think maybe we should just try and get some sleep." Ritsuka was quick to pick up on the blonde's obvious teasing tone and already knew what Soubi was getting at. The boy then pulled the blonde's face toward his own so that he could whisper into his ear.

"Soubi…I order you to take me upstairs and make love to me." Ritsuka's stern and lust filled tone sent shivers down the blonde's spine and he answered in a seductive tone.

"As you command."

With that, Soubi was somewhat quick to carry his lover up the stairs and into their bedroom not even bothering to close the door behind them. There was an immense fiery passion filling both of their guts that quickly filled the air. Neither one of them could hold themselves back any longer so Soubi made a bee line for their large bed before gently laying Ritsuka down on his back and leaning down to him to lock his soft lips in a heated kiss. Ritsuka was the one to deepen their kiss by biting down suddenly on the blonde's bottom lip causing him to let out a deep groan allowing the boy to slyly slip his tongue into his partner's mouth much to Soubi's surprise. With the blonde distracted, Ritsuka tried to get the upper hand and used all his strength to attempt to flip the larger man over. His attempt was in vein however as Soubi broke their kiss in order to overpower the boy and pin his arms firmly to the bed much to Ritsuka's frustration.

"Not this time."

Ritsuka then reluctantly gave in and allowed the blonde to have control of the situation and relaxed his muscles. As soon as the boy relaxed, Soubi quickly lifted the tight shirt form Ritsuka's body and immediately began nipping and sucking at his tender neck earning him a few soft moans. This caused the fire in Ritsuka's belly to grow stronger and he began writhing helplessly beneath the blonde which in turn caused Soubi to smirk against Ritsuka's soft skin as he continued to leave a trail on faint red marks all the way from his neck down to his waist. Ritsuka then took this opportunity to slip his small hands along Soubi's shoulders to remove his lose fitting shirt to reveal his tone chest adorned with the beautiful name that they shared. Soubi had no objections to this and in fact took it one step further by unbuttoning Ritsuka's jeans before sliding them gently off the boy boxers and all and tossing them to the floor. The cold air mixed with the lust in Soubi's eyes sent a warm chill down the boy's spine and caused his already hard member to throb almost painfully, aching for his lovers touch. Soubi easily picked up on this and was more than happy to oblige as he gently pressed his soft tongue at the base of his partners member and ran it slowly up its entire length causing the boy to shudder beneath him.

"Ah…"

Soubi gave a satisfied smirk at this and continued to teasingly lick and kiss at his erection until Ritsuka was back to writhing around and running his small hands through Soubi's golden locks. Soubi then suddenly took his lovers member into his mouth fully causing him to arch his back and moan loudly into the heated air.

"A-ahhh!"

"Mmmm…" Soubi's soft moan sent vibrations along Ritsuka's member making him cry out even louder.

"S-Soubi! Ahh…"

The sound was like music to Soubi's ears and he yearned for me so he began twirling his very skilled tongue around Ritsuka's erection and he bobbed his head up and down.

"Nnn…ahh!"

Soubi then quickened his pace until the air was filled with gasps and moans. Ritsuka felt his stomach tighten more and more with every passing second until he clenched onto the bed sheets as he released himself into his partners mouth. Soubi then slowly raised his head and swallowed before licking his lips and took in the sight of the panting boy beneath him with a smirk. The sight was enough to make the blonde's erection almost painful and he decided to give the boy a quick moment to catch his breath while he swiftly removed his own jeans and boxers to relieve his member from the tight clothing. He then quickly climbed back onto the bed and was taken slightly by surprise when the boy wrapped his arms around his neck and pulled him into a sudden kiss. After a short moment Ritsuka broke their kiss to whisper into his lover's ear, still panting slightly.

"Soubi…I want….no, I need you. Please." The desperation in the boy's voice was obvious and it drove the blonde crazy with desire.

"And I you…" Soubi then slowly moved one of his large hands to slip underneath the boy to tease at his sensitive entrance. He was then taken aback when the boy spoke out to stop him.

"No…" This earned him a confused look from the blonde. "I need you now Soubi…all of you…" Soubi was slightly concerned about not preparing his lover properly but he just couldn't say no when Ritsuka spoke to him in such a way.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes…please Soubi."

That was all the reassurance the blonde needed and he quickly repositioned himself in between the boy's legs. He then took the boy by his knees and lifted them into the air before pulling him closer and allowing him to let his legs rest on his shoulders. This new position caused Ritsuka to blush slightly and Soubi couldn't hold himself back any longer so he planted his hands firmly on the bed on either side of Ritsuka's head before slowly and gently pushing his erection to the hilt into his tight entrance.

"Nnn!"

Soubi stayed perfectly still to allow his lover to adjust but Ritsuka immediately cried out to him.

"Soubi! Move please!"

The blonde then gave a smirk before pulling his hips back and then pushing teasingly slow back into the boy, the position allowing him to hit his sweet spot perfectly.

"Ahh! Yes!"

Soubi then began to thrust rhythmically causing load moans in time from his lover. Ritsuka was now grabbing desperately at the blonde as he hit that spot inside of him over and over again.

"Nnn…harder…."

Soubi happily did as he was told and moved his hands to grab onto Ritsuka's shoulders before slamming himself into him. This caused Ritsuka to throw his head back in pleasure and tighten all the muscles in his body, especially the ones that surrounded his Sentouki's erection causing the blonde to let out a load moan.

"Nnnnn…Ritsuka…"

"Soubi! Don't stop!"

Soubi has no intention of such and increased the pace until he could feel a knot tightening in his stomach. Their pants and moans now mingled together in the thick air of the bedroom and their bodies were so hot and close that they both thought they might melt into one another. Then with one last hard deep perfectly aimed thrust, they climaxed together in ecstasy.

"Soubi!"

"Nnn….Ritsuka…"

Meanwhile….

All was dark and quiet in the home of the Zero girls, except for the subtle sound of light breathing and the occasional sigh from the modest bedroom that the girls shared together.

"Kouya….what's the matter?" The dark haired girl rolled over slightly to answer her Sacrifice with a sigh.

"I can't sleep."

"Well I can see that, but what's on your mind?"

"Well I'm just thinking about what's going to happen tomorrow I guess."

"What about it? We are going to go in there and take those lunatics down for good. There isn't that much to it really." This answer truly baffled the brunette and caused her to sit up in the bed with her knees pulled to her chest.

"How can you say things like that so confidently? You talk about it like we are going grocery shopping or something." This caused the busty blonde to giggle slightly and sit up in the bed as well.

"Well I am not scared that's all."

"How can you not be scared Yamato?! I mean…I want to do this more than most, for Fearless, but I'm still scared. We both know what Nagisa is capable of…" Yamato then leaned in close to her Sentouki in the darkness and gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead.

"I'm not afraid because I have you Kouya. I know you will protect me and that's all I need to give me courage." In that moment, Kouya was thankful for the darkness that now hid the small tears rolling down her cheeks.

"I…I will protect you Yamato, with my life. I love you." Kouya then leaned over to catch her partners lips in a tender kiss.

"I love you too Kouya. Try to get some sleep and don't worry so much. This time tomorrow we will all be celebrating together and Nagisa won't be able to hurt anyone ever again."

"You are right. Goodnight Yamato."

"Goodnight." Kouya then laid back down onto the soft bed followed by Yamato who wrapped an arm snuggly around the smaller girl. There was then a short peaceful silence before the blonde whispered into her Sentouki's ear.

"You know…I think if Fearless knew you, they would have loved you. And I think they would be honored to have you fighting for their memory." This sentiment warmed Kouya's heart and she grasped tightly onto her lover's hand and pulled it close to heart before whisper softly into the darkness.

"Thank you Yamato…"

Not too far away…..

"A-ahhhh! N-Natsuo!"

"Nnnn…"

The two boys quickly collapsed next to each other panting onto their small mattress on the floor. They remained silent for a few short moments, catching their breath, before the outspoken blue haired boy rolled over to face his Sentouki with a frustrated expression.

"This really pisses me off! They are still here!" The red head then gave his partner a small smirk.

"Youji, I'm not happy about it either but at least we get to enjoy trying."

"I know but still…as if that insane woman hasn't put s through enough she just had to make sure that we could never lose our ears." Natsuo then sat up in the bed to look down at his partner with a concerned face.

"Youji…I know it is kind of annoying but why does it bother you that much all of a sudden? I mean you've been relentless tonight; we have been going at it nonstop since we walked in the door." The blue haired boy then let out a long sigh before replying in an uncharacteristically serious manner.

"Honestly…I just think its bullshit. I mean, we are actually going on a full scale assault on the Seven Moons tomorrow and there is a good chance we could die. So it just pisses me off that we might die without even losing our ears you know?" The red head then gave his partner a comforting smile.

"Is that all?"

"Yeah I guess."

"Well first of all, we aren't going to die. If you really think that we are going to die then you have seriously lost it. You know that we are better than anything Nagisa has. She doesn't stand a chance." This finally coaxed a smile from the brooding boy.

"That's definitely true."

"Right, so no worries there. And as far as our ears, well to be perfectly honest, I think you are really cute with ears. I wouldn't mind us being like this forever."

"But people will think we are loser virgins forever." Then in a rare moment of genuine tenderness, Natsuo took his Sacrifices face gently in his hands and raised it to his own to speak to him in a soft voice.

"So what? Who cares what other people think Youji? Our whole lives it has been me and you against the world; we have always been everything the other has. So what other people think doesn't matter, all that matters is what we know and we know that we aren't virgins. We know that we love each other, we know that our bond is true, and no one can tell us otherwise." Youji then gently pressed his lips to Natsuo's as a silent thank you before falling back onto the bed followed by the red head.

"You're right."

"I'm glad you think so. Now let's try and get some sleep."

"Alright. I love you Natsuo.

"I love you too Youji."

Back at the Academy….

"Phew…that was really close Yayoi."

"I know. It's a good thing our room is on the ground floor."

Now safely back in their dorm at the academy, via their dorm room window, Yuiko and Yayoi were quick to change into their pajamas and climb into the bed they shared together. Once they were snug in their bed, the busty pink haired girl moved closer to her Sentouki to be curled up wrapped in his arms. Despite the fact that they were partners and had been living together for some time now, in times like these Yuiko still couldn't help but to blush slightly. They laid together in silence for a few moments with their bodies pressed together as closely as possible before Yuiko whispered softly to her partner.

"Yayoi…"

"Yes?"

"Are you scared? About what might happen tomorrow?"

"No, I'm not."

"Really? How come? Yuiko is scared."

"Well I think it's because I really believe that this Saiyuri girl has a good plan, and if Ritsuka and Soubi believe in her then so do I."

"She does seem really smart."

"Yeah she does. And besides, I would never let anything happen to you Yuiko; I would die first."

"No! Don't say things like that…I don't want Yayoi to die…" Yayoi couldn't help but to chuckle lovingly at this.

"Don't worry. I truly believe that this plan will work and no one will die. But I promise you Yuiko that if things go bad…I have a backup plan."

"You do?"

"Yeah."

"What is it?"

"Well if things start to go south and I don't think there will be any way to win then I plan on sneaking you and Ritsuka out of an old abandoned fire exit at the back of the academy. It isn't the ideal situation but I refuse to let any harm to come to you or our friends." The pink haired girl then sat up slightly in the bed to look at her partner face to face.

"You really think this will work though Yayoi?"

"Yeah…I really do."

The girl then smiled in the darkness before leaning down slowly to catch her partner's lips in a deep passionate kiss that took the boy completely by surprise. It was true that they had become very close and held hands often but Yuiko rarely kissed him and had never kissed him like this before. In that moment it felt as though it heart had skipped several beats and was now racing at a million miles a second. He had always dreamed of Yuiko kissing him like this but he never thought that it would make him so happy. In the heat of the moment Yayoi grew timidly bold and placed a hand on the small of the girls back to pull her down closer to him causing her to gasp slightly and just enough for him to slip his tongue swiftly into his partners mouth, which much to his surprise caused he girl to moan ever so slightly into their kiss instead of pull away like he expected. Yayoi then discovered something that made his heart pound and his stomach fill with butterflies: His partner, the girl he had loved for so long that was now kissing him with such passion…tasted like strawberries. This may seem trivial to some but him, it was bliss.

Kazuka Manor….

It had been an extremely long night for both the inhabitants of the large home and it had really taken a toll on them both. Sasuke was not one to show his emotions however and was quick to retire to bed as soon as all their guests had left. Saiyuri on the hand was restless and remained in the large living room for over an hour after her friends had left, pondering the past, the present and the things to come. Her thoughts gravitating mostly towards everything she had learned over the past few weeks about her parents and the academy. She was however relieved to have closure and the knowledge of what had happened and so her thoughts then moved to focus solely on the plan that she had set in motion. She spent the majority of her time in the empty living room going over the plan in her head over and over again, thinking of anything that could go wrong, back up plans and strategies. It was only after she was absolutely sure that she had everything all figured out that she finally stood slowly from her chair and made her way up the stairs and into the large master bedroom of the manor. She remained lost in her thoughts the entire time as she changed into her sleeping shorts and tank top and crawled into her bed. She then laid in the darkness with the large fluffy comforter pulled up all the way to her chin and closed her eyes in attempt to get some rest. She tried her best to calm her thoughts enough to sleep but no matter how hard she tried she just couldn't seem to shake an odd feeling that she had. This was a new feeling she had never felt before and didn't understand in the slightest. It felt as though she was hungry, but not in her stomach, it felt like she was hungry in the very pit of her soul.

After a few more restless minutes, the small blonde rolled over onto her side and let out a long sigh. She then closed her eyes and an image flashed in her mind. It was that of Ritsuka from just earlier that evening. It was an image she would never forget: he was there standing in her doorway in her mother's necklace wearing the exact same smile that her mother once did. This image acted like a lullaby to the restless girl and it was then only a short moment before she could finally feel sleep begin to overtake her. For the first time in years, she felt completely relaxed and managed to whisper in the darkness before she was taken away into her dreams.

"Mother….father…I swear to you…I will make this right. For you…for Ritsuka…and for myself."

**TBC**


	40. Infiltration

As the sun rose on Christmas Eve, snowflakes fluttered gracefully through the air carried by the gentle wind and accompanied by a subtle uneasy calmness that rested upon the entire city. It was almost as if even the trees and buildings knew of the events to come and were silently standing by in anxiety. Through the calm however, in the quaint two story home on the outskirts of town, a very restless Ritsuka was already awake and was now perched high up on the roof watching the colorful sunrise. As he sat in silence, the boy was completely lost in thoughts. He found himself not thinking of things to come however, instead he was simply sitting with a small smile replaying fond memories in his mind. He thought about how long it had felt since he had first met Yuiko and Yayoi and how happy he was to have met them. His thoughts then shifted to the night when he was rescued by Yamato that night in the park and again he smiled, only remembering the good that came of it instead of the bad that had led to you. This memory then drew his mind to his happiest memories of all, those of Soubi. It was these memories alone that gave Ritsuka courage in these trying times, and it was these memories that he would always treasure over all others. Ritsuka then let out a long deep breathe, that he could see in the cold air, as the smile on his face grew. His peace was then disturbed by the sound of a soft voice and the feeling of a warm hand on his shoulder. He calmly looked up to see the tall blonde standing behind him with a smile.

"Soubi, how did you know I was up here?" Soubi gave a small chuckle at this.

"You don't know? I suppose you do it subconsciously now."

"Do what?"

"Call. I knew you were here because you called me."

"I did?"

"Yes. It woke me up actually." Ritsuka then stood up, aided by one of Soubi's large hands, and wrapped his arms around the blonde, nuzzling into him.

"I'm sorry for waking you. I suppose I did do it by accident, I was just thinking about you and all the memories we have together." This caused the blonde to smile wide as he wrapped his arms tightly around the small boy.

"No need to apologize. I like it when you call actually." Ritsuka then looked up at the blonde with a slightly confused expression.

"You do? What does it feel like?"

"Hmmm….well when a Sacrifice calls to their Sentouki, the Sentouki takes on whatever their Sacrifice is feeling. So when you call me, I get a small insight into your true feelings and whether they are bad feelings or good, they are yours and being able to feel what you do makes me happy." Ritsuka's eyes became glazed over in awe at what he was hearing and the very thought warmed him to his core.

"Wow…that's really amazing. So…how did it feel just now when I called you?"

"Warm, happy, optimistic…it really was a nice way to wake up."

"Mmm…it does sound nice."

"Indeed. Now let's go inside."

The rest of the day continued out at an almost pain stacking pace to all of those who knew what was to come. All parties did their best to retain some sense of normality but it was to no avail and they all could only wait and hang on baited breathe; very much anticipating the battle. The day did not however drag on for one small blonde haired girl who instead spent her entire day studying and practicing, not wasting a single a moment and begging the clock to slow down. Time however showed the girl no mercy and it seemed like only a few short moments before the clock struck six and she looked out of the large living room bay window to see that the sun was hanging just above the horizon. She let out a very long sigh as her tall dark haired tenet sauntered into the room.

"You ready to go Saiyuri?" The blonde then turned around to shift her gaze from the window to address the man in the door way behind her with a determined grin.

"Yeah. Are you?"

"Ready as I'll ever be."

"Good. I've spoken to Ritsuka over the phone and informed them of exactly where everyone is to be and when so they can pass the word along."

"And Limitless?"

"Waiting in the park for me already. We have about an hour until their curfew at the academy; that should be plenty of time."

"Well it sounds like everything is in place then."

"Indeed…we should get going."

"Alright."

The blonde then made her way past Sasuke and into the entry way with the man close in toe. She then pressed against the hidden place in the wall and grabbed her treasured hooded sweatshirt. As she slipped it over her head the man behind her let out a small laugh.

"So that's where you've been hiding that thing."

"Yeah, what of it? Have you been looking for it Sasuke?" The girl's tone was very teasing and it coaxed a genuine laugh from the man.

"I was actually."

"Well it wouldn't do you any good anyway. It was made by my mother when she was younger after she married dad, and she made it so that only females of the Kazuka family can use it."

"Well that's selfish."

"No it's not. It's rather clever. She meant it to be a great escape plan." Again the man made a laughing scoff at this.

"Is that really all?" This caused the girl to giggle.

"Well….mom did also like being mysterious and I suppose sneaking about in the dark and in tree tops was sort of her signature."

"So that's where you get it from." The two then shared a small laugh together before Saiyuri opened the door with her shoulders held back proudly and a determined grin on her face.

"Yeah…I suppose it is. Well! Let's get going. I'll head to the park and you make your way to your post. Got it?"

"Roger."

"Good." The girl then flipped up her hood and whispered her spell. The large black wings then spread out wide and before she took off, she turned back to the man with a smile. "See you on the other side." Then in one swift movement, Sasuke watched as his one and only friend took off into the darkening skies leaving him alone to make his way to the small hill that over looked the Seven Moons Academy.

Meanwhile…

"I'm nervous Yayoi…are we too early? Do you think something happened to her? Should we call Ritsuka?" The pink haired girl was pacing restlessly back and forth in the large clearing of the park where they were told to meet Saiyuri.

"Yuiko calm down. I promise everything will be ok. We are right on time and have only been here for three minutes, just give her some time ok?" The short long haired boy did his best to calm his partner and finally caught ahold of her hand to stop her from wearing a rut in the ground. This caused the girl to finally stop and take a deep breath before turning to look at her Sentouki.

"You are right. Yuiko is….um I'm sorry." Yayoi then wrapped his arms around the girl upon hearing her apology, knowing all too well that when she was scared or nervous she reverted back to referring to herself in the third person.

"You don't need to apologize, it's normal to be nervous; but I will protect you so you have nothing to worry about." This finally caused the girl to crack a smile and she hugged her Sentouki tightly. The two were then disturbed as an odd gust of wind rushed over them.

"Well good evening!" Yuiko and Yayoi quickly released each other and took defensive stances upon hearing a voice seemingly from nowhere. Yayoi scanned the entire area and spoke out when he saw no one.

"Who's there?!" There was a short silence before he saw a small hooded figure emerge from the tree line. He then gently pushed Yuiko back a few steps so that she was safely behind him and then simply watched in silence as the figure approached them. The cloaked person suddenly stopped a few yards in front of them before slowly removing their hood.

"Hi!" Yayoi almost fell to the ground upon seeing the bubbly blonde from the night before grinning and waving at them with her tail wagging happily behind her.

"Geez! You scared us half to death! Was that necessary?!" Saiyuri couldn't help but to giggle at the disheveled boy.

"Sorry, I guess I was never good at making a normal entrance." Yuiko then stepped forward slightly and began waving fervently while her Sentouki tried to catch his breath.

"Hello! Sorry for Yayoi, he can be a little over protective."

"Over protective?! B-but Yuiko…I thought you were in danger." The two girls then both giggled at the boy who had now slumped over in embarrassment. Once they had a good laugh at Yayoi's expense, both girls calmed down and Saiyuri gained a serious expression.

"So…are you two ready?" This snapped both Yuiko and Yayoi into serious modes and battle stances.

"We are ready when you are…but…" Yayoi lowered his guard for a moment before continuing. "You promise Yuiko won't get hurt?"

"I promise that she won't get hurt." Yayoi then let out a relieved sigh before resuming his battle stance with Yuiko safely behind him once again.

"Alright then…we declare this to be a battle of spells!"

"I accept! Sentou systems engage." Saiyuri's affirmation then expanded the battle radius engulfing the entire area in a shimmering bubble. Yayoi and Yuiko then joined hands and spoke in unison.

"We are Limitless. A bond and power that knows no limits."

"I am Bondless…one who shares no bonds." Both pairs then stood firmly with gazed fixed on each other for a short moment before Yayoi spoke firmly.

" _Restrain! Capture the enemy and forbid movement."_

" _Denied! Your chains won't reach me!"_ This defense made quick work of shatter the restraints that were flying toward her before they land. "Gonna have to be quicker than that Yayoi!"

" _Rip!Tear! Destroy the enemy!"_ This time Yayoi's attack came lightning fast and in a blink of an eye, Saiyuri had gained two heavy restraints around both her wrists.

"Much better but you can still do better." Yayoi was slightly confused by this very one sided battle but in the end he was relieved that the girl was keeping her word not to harm his partner by not attacking.

" _Shatter! Incinerate! May the very stars fall and crash upon our enemy!"_ Saiyuri then gazed up into the night sky to see that the stars had indeed become a deep fiery red and were now hurdling down towards her.

" _Fortify! Strengthen all defenses!"_ This encased the girl in see through bubble and was quickly struck again and again by falling stars that exploded upon hitting it. Saiyuri kept both hands raised in defense for as long as she could but it wasn't long before her defense failed and she was struck by the attack, earning her a large leather collar around her neck that pulled her to her knees. Once on her knees, the girl grasped at the restraint around her neck and gasped for air; she was definitely not used to be restrained but regained her composer none the less.

"T-that's more like it…" Yuiko could hear the slight note of pain in her voice and called out to her.

"Are you ok?!" There was a short pause while Saiyuri took a deep breath and rose to her feet.

"I'm fine but it's almost time. Go ahead and finish this so we can get going." Yuiko gave a worried expression but knew what had to be done and gave her Sentouki an approving nod.

" _Absolute destruction! Tear the enemy down completely."_  This sent an immense shockwave rushing toward the small blonde and this time she did not defend but simply closed her eyes and allowed the blow to land, causing her to cry out as she was completely constrained.

"Ahh!" Yayoi then lowered his stance and spoke calmly.

"Victory." With that one word, the battle radius burst into a shimmering dust around them and all the restraints dissolved away from the blonde who had once again collapsed to the ground. Once the battle radius was gone, Yuiko quickly ran over the girl on the ground.

"Saiyuri! Are you alright?!" As soon as Yuiko reached her, the blonde rose back to her feet and wiped away the small trickle of blood that was falling from the corner of her mouth.

"I'm fine Yuiko. You and Yayoi did great." Yayoi had now joined the two girls and clasped Yuiko's hand in his own in an attempt to comfort her.

"Sorry if I hurt you Saiyuri."

"No Yayoi, you did exactly what I asked and I really am fine. But we really should get going, it is getting late and everybody should be settling into their positions now."

"Alright. But how do you want us to bring you in? I doubt Ritsu will believe that we defeated and that you just came along quietly afterwards."

"I'm aware. I know a rare spell that will knock me out so I will seem unconscious but I'll be able to release it without speaking. So you two will bring me in seemingly knocked out and take me directly to Ritsu, no one else. I will still be aware of what is going on around me so if something starts to go wrong, I will break the spell and move forward with the plan."

"Alright, I think that sounds good."

"Great, you will have to carry me by the way." Saiyuri then giggled slightly as Yayoi's cheeks went red.

"Yeah I kind of figured."

"Smart kid." Saiyuri then flipped her hood over her head once again before looking Yayoi straight in the face with a serious tone. "Oh and one last thing…it is extremely important that my sweatshirt is not removed from my body for any reason; my hood can be pulled down but it has to stay on my body or the spell will not work."

"Alright, we will make sure no one touches it."

"Thank you Yayoi." The two then watched on calmly as the girl whispered her spell before collapsing to the ground. Yayoi walked over to her limp body to see that it did in fact seem as though she was out cold. His worried side however, drove him to check her pulse just in case. He was soon relieved when he discovered that her pulse was strong and her breathing was normal, she really was just knocked out. The boy then stood and looked back at his partner to give her a reassuring smile. He then pulled out a small cell phone and dialed a few numbers.

" _Hello?"_

"Hello sensei. Limitless here."

" _Oh just who I was looking for. Are you aware that you are out past curfew? This will not go unpunished."_

"We understand that we are out past curfew but we were caught in a battle."

" _Since when has that been an acceptable excuse?"_

"I understand sensei but…we have captured Bondless."

" _Well….that definitely changes things. Good job. Do you have her securely in custody?"_

"Yes sir, the target is unconscious."

" _Perfect. Bring her in immediately and bring her directly to me. Do you understand?"_

"Understood."

" _Good."_

*click*

Yayoi then flipped the phone closed before looking to his Sacrifice with a serious face.

"You ready Yuiko?"

"Mmhmm"

"Are you sure you can handle this? You must remain calm and you can't show any pity or feelings toward her once we get on school grounds to keep up the appearance that we have apprehended a target." Yuiko remained silent for a moment before putting on a determined face.

"I can do it Yayoi, I promise."

"I know you can."

Yayoi then turned back toward the limp body on the ground and bent down before scooping her up gently in his arms. With their target in hand, the duo then began their walk back to the academy filled with optimism and determination.

The sun had now completely disappeared and the stars were shining brightly joined by the light of a full moon. All seemed calm and normal at the Seven Moons Academy, that is expect for the band of friends that were all gathered with Sasuke at his post high atop the hill over the academy. The whole group was there, waiting and watching for the blonde to be escorted inside. They were all perfectly still and silent in a mixture of stealth and anxiety. They were all beginning to grow more and more worried as the minutes ticked by and there was still no sign of their bubbly ring leader. Ritsuka was especially nervous until he finally caught a glimpse of his friends walking up to the large sealed gates, with Saiyuri securely in their custody. Once everyone noticed this, they all exchanged affirming nods and went fully alert, now just waiting for their cue to go to work.

Yuiko and Yayoi quickly put on stern faces as they approached the gate of the academy. Yuiko let out a long breath before pushing the small button on the intercom.

" _Who goes there?"_

"Limitless. Ritsu is expecting us. We have acquired a marked target.

" _Confirmed. Go on in."_

The gates then swung open and the duo was quick to slip inside and make their way across the courtyard. The entire grounds were deathly silent and they made their way directly into the building before making a bee line for Ritsu's office. Once they arrived in front of the office door, Yuiko knocked firmly on the door.

"Come in Limitless." Yuiko did as she was told and opened the door so they could step inside the man's office to find him sitting at his desk with his fingers laced together on top of his desk and a sinister smirk across his face. Once Yuiko had closed the door behind them, Yayoi spoke to the blind man at the desk.

"Good evening sensei. We have the target as requested."

"Wonderful. Set her down in the chair." Yayoi did as instructed and gently placed Saiyuri in one of the chairs opposite Ritsu. "I'm very pleased with you both. She has been a fugitive for some time now."

"Thank you sir."

"Now are you sure this is the correct target?"

"Yes sir. She attacked us in a park and announced her name."

"But did you actually check her name?

"Um…no sir."

"Well then I suggest you find it before we can call this mission accomplished."

"H-how do I do that sir?"

"Well strip her until you find a name." This shot a cold chill down Yayoi's spine, not only at the thought of undressing the blonde but at the thought that he had no idea where her name was and it might be somewhere that he would have to remove her sweatshirt. His heart began to race but he did his best to stay calm and think logically. All he could do was hope it wouldn't come to that.

"Yes sir."

Yayoi then walked back over to the girl's lifeless body and began checking all the obvious places: arms, legs, hands, but found nothing. This caused his fear to grow even more and he thought he could at least stall by removing her sweatshirt last; so after a deep breath he slowly unbuttoned the girl's baggy holey jeans and unzipped the zipper. Then he timidly began to pull them off of her. He thought he might break their cover if he kept stalling like he was and starting running through back up plans in his head. His fear was thankfully relieved however when he got her jeans down just past her hips and saw her name printed in bold all capital letters running down the 'v' shaped muscled of her hips: BONDLESS. He then quickly redressed her and stood firmly in front of Ritsu.

"Name confirmed sir. This is Bondless."

"Perfect." Ritsu then slowly stood from his chair and made his way flawlessly over to where he knew the girl's body to be. Yayoi and Yuiko watched on anxiously as Ritsu's hand found its way to take the girl's chin in between his fingers, lifter her limp neck so that he was face to face with her.

"Such a shame to see you in this state miss Kazuka. I really thought you would have been better than this but I suppose the grief has finally made you weak." Yayoi was now sweating bullets as he watched this scene unfold. "I have waited for this day for so long…"

Yuiko and Yayoi both then had to hold back their shock at the look and their sensei's face when Saiyuri's eyes flew open and she whispered back to him.

"As have I Ritsu…."

 


	41. A Dark Secret

"Well well...it would seem that you are healthier than expected Miss Kazuka."

Ritsu's usual calm demeanor faltered for only a short moment before he was right back to speaking in a calm, yet slightly menacing, tone while now leaning up against the front of his desk. With her spell released, Saiyuri stood firmly from the chair to stand in front of the man, while Yuiko and Yayoi simply watched on in a stunned silence.

"Healthier than you I see. So who was the lucky dog that got to blind you? Or was it just old age?" The tone in the girl's voice mixed with the content of her statement was enough to once again shift Ritsu's cool attitude to a very irritated one.

"I don't believe that's really any of your concern."

"Well, got what you deserve if you ask me." The girl then let out a small giggle before turning her head just enough to make eye contact with the boy standing a few feet away. Once their eyes locked, Saiyuri made a small gesture with her hand silently telling the duo to make a quiet exit from the office. Yayoi quickly caught on and gave a small nod before taking his partners hand in his own and making very small movements towards the door.

"Well luckily I didn't ask for your opinion." There was then a small pause in their banter before Ritsu turned his attention away from the blonde in front of him and towards the office door. "And where do you think you are going Limitless?" This stopped Yuiko and Yayoi dead in their tracks after only a few steps, leaving them both stunned and amazed at the man's incredible hearing.

"Umm…Yuiko and I just thought we were no longer needed."

"Think again…I suggest you close the door and stay right where you are. No one leaves this room until I page professor Nagisa to come and take the target into custody."

"Y-yes sir." Saiyuri could hear Yayoi's voice trembling and knew all too well that if they all became trapped in that room it wouldn't end well. She thought quickly and made the best decision she could.

" _Absolute darkness! A million dark feathers conceal everything from sight!"_  Before anyone knew what had happened, a swarm of dark feathers swirled around the small blonde and quickly filled the room. "Yuiko! Yayoi! Let's go!"

This was all the duo needed to hear to make a mad dash for the door with Saiyuri hopefully right on their heels. The last thing they heard through the sound of swirling feathers as they ran out of the room was the sound of Ritsu laughing a barely audible sinister laugh. As soon as Yuiko and Yayoi made it out, they both looked around in all directions for the blonde and were relieved to see her run out after them, slamming the door closed behind her. They then watched as she placed her hands on the door knob before speaking aloud.

" _Concealment. Lock this place away from all others."_  Saiyuri then turned to the duo behind with a serious expression. "Alright, that won't hold him for very longand he still has his phone and the PA system I'm assuming, so that doesn't give us much time. I need both of you to quickly make your way to the rear exit of the building and open the doors, there shouldn't be any guards there but if there is then incapacitate them quickly." Yuiko and Yayoi both stood at attention as if soldiers being given orders and both nodded firmly before Yayoi replied.

"Got it."

"Good. After you get the back exit cleared I want you to go straight to the courtyard and meet with Ritsuka and Soubi. I'll go open the front gates now so they should be there waiting for you. I have already told them to stay there until you meet with them then you are to take their place while they go gather students."

"Alright. We'll get going then."

"Right. Stay alert and be careful."

"We will…and same to you."

Yayoi then took his partners hand in his and they both turn and ran as fast as they could toward the back of the facility with nothing in mind except the mission at hand. Once the young pair had dashed away, Saiyuri flipped her hood over her head once more and took off at lightning speed in the opposite direction toward the front of building. As she ran, she was filled with an immense sense of thankfulness to Yayoi for the map that he had made her, for it was for this reason alone that she could navigate these halls almost with her eyes closed. This allowed her to make her very quickly out of the front door and into the empty courtyard. Once outside she stopped for a moment and looked around and took a moment to listen; she was admittedly a little curious as to why an alarm hadn't been sounded yet, but she decided that, knowing the sadistic man, Ritsu was waiting to satisfy his curiosity as to what would happen next. The girl then decided not to worry about it and to focus on the plan and she took off running once again. Once she had made it across the courtyard and to the large iron gates, she took great care to remain in the shadows while she snuck along the small guard shack that stood at the side of the gates. She peaked into the small window to see only one guard seated in a small chair. She then very stealthily snuck through the door without a sound and crept up behind the man and in one swift movement landed an incredibly hard punch to the back of his head, knocking him out and to the floor without a sound. With the guard incapacitated, she made her way over to the small console he was seated in front of and pressed a button that caused the large gates to slowly swing open. She then made her exit out of the shack just as quickly and quietly as she had entered but the moment she exited the small building, a loud siren rang through the air followed by the familiar sound of Ritsu's voice over the intercom.

" _Attention all staff and students, we have an intruder on the grounds. This is not a drill. All students from class A are to report immediately to their squad leaders to await orders. All students from classes B and C are to man their guard posts immediately. All other students are to remain in their dorms. The target is extremely dangerous and a serious threat to the entire school. She and any accomplices she may have are to be captured at all costs. The battle unit Limitless is also now considered an enemy and is to be detained as well."_

This announcement gave Saiyuri an extreme sense of urgency and she quickly ran to the open gates and made a very distinct whistling sound. She then waited for a short yet tense moment until everyone, with the exception of Sasuke, emerged from bushes and trees nearby and ran to meet her. She then wasted no time in breaking down the next step of their plan.

"Ok guys, as you heard the alarm has sounded so there is no turning back now. Yuiko and Yayoi should have opened the rear exit by now; we will use that as an emergency escape route. Kouya, Yamato, you two go ahead now and head up the group and begin engaging anyone that appears to be a threat to make way for the others."

"Right!" Both girls gave firm nods before sprinting off past the gates and into the court yard. Saiyuri then finished addressing the rest of the group.

"Ok now, the rest of us are going in together. Once we get back inside the gates we are all going to split up. I'll go find Ritsu while Youji and Natsuo go after Nagisa, and Ritsuka and Soubi go find students, just like we talked about before. Yuiko and Yayoi will meet Ritsuka and Soubi in the courtyard and stand guard their while they are off gathering more students. When each of you completes your part, meet back in the courtyard. If anything is to go wrong, find a way to signal to Sasuke. Everybody understand?"

"Got it!"

"Understood!"

"Great, then let's move out."

With the plan laid out in full the entire party, led by Saiyuri, made their way boldly through the gates with only their mission in mind and determination in their hearts. It then became very clear that they would indeed encounter quite the resistance when they rounded the corner into the courtyard to find that Kouya and Yamato were already standing triumphantly with a pile of four guards unconscious at their feet. Ritsuka couldn't help but to crack a smile at Yamato who was standing with one of her feet proudly on top of one of the bodies. She noticed this and gave him a thumbs up with a huge grin while Kouya stood with her fists ready for the guard that was coming their way. Ritsuka then scanned the area until he laid eyes on the pink haired girl and her partner coming towards them from the small gravel path that led to the gardens. The duo quickly ran up to them to speak to Saiyuri.

"Hey, we got the back exit open, everything is good to go."

"Good. Great job you two. Now I just need you to stay here in the courtyard and protect any students that Ritsuka and Soubi send your way.

"Got it."

"And Yamato and Kouya will stay here as but if you need them to go somewhere to handle guards then just give them the word and they will go handle it to ensure that the students remain safe."

"Ok, we can do that." Saiyuri then gave them a small smile before turning the group behind her.

"Alright guys, this is where we part ways. Good luck to all and please be safe." Saiyuri was reassured with a warm smile from Ritsuka and simple smirks from both Zero boys.

"We will Saiyuri."

"Yeah this will be too easy. I can't wait to find that crazy woman." Saiyuri couldn't help but to giggle slightly at the blue haired boy.

"Just don't forget to bring her in alive."

"Will do." Then without another word, all five them split up and ran off in different directions, ready for anything.

Ritsuka and Soubi decided to take the path through the front door of the main school building, knowing that that was the building that housed all of the student's dorms. As they entered, Soubi tried his best to keep Ritsuka safely behind him but Ritsuka stayed bravely out in front the entire way, wanting only to get to the students and not worrying at all for his own safety. Once they made it into the large lobby, the first thing they noticed was the eerie silence that filled the area. It seemed very out of place that the main building was so quiet after the alarm had sounded and this silence had Soubi on full alert, while Ritsuka merely shrugged it off and began making his way down the first hallway to his right with Soubi right on his heels. After rounding the corner into the hallway, Ritsuka stopped suddenly and looked around his vicinity before looking back at his Sentouki.

"Soubi, this looks like a good place to start. The plaques on the wall here say 'Section 1'; they must have all the dorm blocks split into sections like this."

"That makes sense. Do you want to check in chronological order?"

"No, that would take too long; we don't know if they are laid out in any particular order. We will just go in a circle around the whole building; but we need to keep track of the sections that we have searched already."

"Alright."

"Alright then. It looks like there are four rooms on each side of the all, so you check the left and I'll check the right." This idea concerned Soubi slightly and it showed on his face.

"Wouldn't it be better if we stayed together?"

"Soubi, I will be fine and we will just be across the hall from each other. Besides if I get into trouble, I'll call you." This eased Soubi's tensions just enough to press forward.

"Ok."

The two then exchanged a short smile to one another before they each began searching rooms. They both started with the first room on each side of the hallway and knocked gently on the doors and waited as patiently as possible for reply. When they both received no reply, they checked the doors and found that they were locked. Soubi was then the one to press ear to the door and listen carefully but heard not a single sound. He then decided that no one was there and turned around to find that Ritsuka had already moved on to the next door in the hallway, so he followed suit. They continued like this until they each reached the last doors at the end of the hall way but again they received no response. After checking the last rooms, they met back in the middle of the hallway and Ritsuka spoke in a slightly irritated tone.

"Well I guess this section is abandoned."

"It would seem so." Ritsuka then looked around to see that the hallway they were in dead ended into a corner with only one other hallway on their left.

"Right, well let's keep going. The sign on this hall way says 'Section 7'. You take the left and I'll take the right again."

"Ok."

The duo then began their process again in the new hallway and again the first two doors on each side had no reply. As they moved on toward the next door however, they heard the sound of footsteps very close by and before Ritsuka could blink, Soubi had him backed into a wall and was standing in front him.

"There is a unit coming and their Sentou systems are already engaged; get ready."

"Right."

They both then took defensive stances and waited anxiously as the footsteps drew closer. It wasn't long as at all before two students appeared from the dark hallway. It was a boy and girl that looked as if they were maybe fifteen or sixteen. They stopped only a few yards in front of Ritsuka and Soubi before speaking.

"You must be with the intruder." Despite the fact that Soubi wouldn't let Ritsuka out from behind him, Ritsuka was the one to answer.

"Yes we are but we are here to help. What goes on here is wrong and Ritsu must be stopped." This caused the boy, very obviously the Sentouki of the pair, to scoff.

"You know nothing."

"We know more than you think.

"You honestly have no idea…" Ritsuka then watched as the pair got in their battle stances.

"We don't have to fight! You can join us!"

"Afraid that's not an option….We declare this to be a battle of spells!" Soubi was more than ready for this outcome and was quick to speak.

"We accept!" The battle radius then expanded before the pair in front of them then gently touched their foreheads together and held hands before speaking.

"We are Endless. We bring to our enemies a suffering that never ends." Soubi then finally allowed Ritsuka to come to his side and he gently took the boy by the small of the back and quickly kissed him gently.

"We are Loveless. Our enemies fall before us as we defy our very name." This new duo was lightning fast and the attacks began to fly immediately.

" _Shatter! Rain hell fire upon our enemy!"_

" _Denied! Nothing will reach us!"_ The attack came fast but Soubi's defense was faster and Endless's attack was shot down before it had any chance to land. Soubi then attacked with full force, not wanting to waste any time.

" _Eviscerate! Completely bury our enemy!"_

" _Deflect!"_ Their opponents defense was useless and Soubi's attack landed hard upon the small girl, gaining her three restraints on her ankles and neck. This didn't shake the boy however, and he was quick to attack once more.

" _Incinerate! Burn the enemy alive!"_ This spell sent a wave of flames flying toward Ritsuka and Soubi acted lightning fast to defend.

" _Dissolve! Bring forth the healing waters to douse the flames!"_ This caused a downpour of glowing blue water to engulf the flames and snuff them out before they could reach Ritsuka.

"Soubi! Finish this! We have to move on!" Soubi simply looked back at his Sacrifice and gave an affirming nod before continuing.

" _Decimation! Leave nothing left!"_ This caused the entire battle radius to shake and rumble and before the opponent could utter a single syllable, the Sacrifice was completely restrained.

"Victory!" Soubi's words caused the battle radius to shake apart and collapse, leaving the other pair unconscious. With Endless defeated, Ritsuka looked at Soubi with a smile.

"Good job Soubi."

"Thank you; you as well."

"Thanks; now let's keep moving before more units show up."

"Right."

Soubi and Ritsuka then made their way down the hallway, leaving the defeated pair knocked out on the floor. They then carried on with their search, not shaken at all by the battle. Over the next few minutes, they searched every room but found not a single student anywhere. This was really beginning to confuse them both and Ritsuka was beginning to worry about where everyone might be but he pushed his fears aside and continued on boldly. After searching two more hallways, Ritsuka came to a large door that was placed where the next hallway would logically be. This baffled him and he called to Soubi who was knocking on the last door of the last hallway.

"Hey Soubi!" The tall blonde immediately came running at the sound of the boy's voice and it was only seconds before he was standing by his side.

"Is everything ok?"

"I don't know…look at this." Soubi did as he was told and found himself looking at the same door that Ritsuka was standing in front of.

"Odd…there should be another hallway here." Ritsuka was then silent for a short moment as he tried to figure things out.

"No wait…I remember on Yayoi's map that there is a room behind this door, but it was one marked as unknown."

"Interesting…" Ritsuka then began scanning the walls looking for a plaque to tell him what was behind the door. It wasn't long before he found it.

"Soubi…look here. The plaque says 'Section 13: Remedial." Soubi then gained a worried expression as that word couldn't mean anything good.

"This must be where they house the students in remedial classes…..or ones being punished." This caused Ritsuka to swallow hard in fear of what might be just beyond the door.

"Well…let's go find out."

Ritsuka then cautiously pulled on the door handle and slowly opened the door. Once the door was open, all he could see was darkness. He felt along the wall until he found a small light switch and flipped it on. When the lights came on, Ritsuka was not prepared for what he saw. In this room was a small group of about eight or ten students ranging in ages, huddled up in the back corner of the room; some of them shivering in fear. This sight alone was enough to break Ritsuka's heart and he took a few steps slowly into the room. Upon closer inspection however, Ritsuka noticed something that shook him to the core and he stopped dead in his tracks.

"Soubi…do you see that…"

"What?" Ritsuka then clasped a small hand over his mouth, mortified at what he saw.

"T-these kids….you are right. They are being punished."

"What do you mean? How do you know?"

"Look closer…t-their tails….their tails have been cut…"

**TBC**


	42. Settling Scores

"Soubi...how could they do something like this..."

After swallowing the initial shock of the situation, Soubi quickly stepped forward to wrap his arms around the boy in front of him that was now shaking slightly with large tears rolling down his cheeks. Despite his very best efforts however, Soubi couldn't seem to find an answer that might comfort his partner and he felt as though the best thing he could do was hold him tighter.

"I don't know…" This answer, as expected, did nothing to comfort the boy and he quickly tore himself away from the tall blonde before looking at him while wiping the tears away from his eyes and putting on a strong face.

"We have to get them out of here."

"Agreed."

Ritsuka then turned away from his Sentouki and began making his way slowly toward the group of students huddled against the back wall of the small room. As he made his way across the room, Ritsuka noticed that there were several small sleeping mats on the floor and there were papers scattered all about the floor, giving the whole room the look and feel more of a kennel than a classroom. Once Ritsuka got within a few feet of the first pair of students in his sight, he extended a hand to them but they both flinched before curling away from him. The last thing Ritsuka wanted was to scare them so he got down onto his knees right where he was, before speaking to the pair of students in front of him in a soft voice. They looked to him as if they were his age so he was hoping he could get through to them.

"Hey…my name is Ritsuka and that man over there is my Sentouki, Soubi. What are your names?" He waited for a moment and watched as the pair of boys timidly revealed their scared faces but neither said a word. "It's ok, we aren't going to hurt you, we are here to help. Why don't you just tell me your names?" Ritsuka then waited once again before one of the boys finally spoke.

"M-my name is Eiji…and this is my Sacrifice Tetsuya." Ritsuka then gave the boys a warm smile causing them to relax just slightly.

"Well it's very nice to meet you both. Now, can you tell me what you are all doing in here?" Eiji paused for a moment before answering timidly.

"We are because we aren't suitable to be with the other students…"

"Unsuitable?"

"We aren't good enough…" The boy then quickly buried his face back into the nape of his Sacrifice's neck.

"That's not true. I'm sure you are all great students." Ritsuka received no response from the duo in front of him but instead he was slightly startled by the sound of another voice from the corner of the room and when he looked up, he saw another single student standing in the corner with her arms crossed. This student was a girl who looked as though she was a few years older than Ritsuka and she too had her tail cut down to only a few inches.

"It doesn't matter what you think…or what we think for that matter. All that matters here…is your record. Wins and losses, test scores, obedience, attendance; and if you fail in any of those areas…then you end up here like us: Humiliated and locked away." Upon hearing the boldness in this girls voice, Ritsuka felt as though she wasn't as traumatized as the others, or at least didn't act it, so he stood and approached her with Soubi now right on his heels.

"What's your name?"

"What does it matter?"

"It matters because I care and we want to help you all." The girl thought for a moment before letting out a long sigh and answering in a much softer and calmer tone.

"I'm Kumiko…"

"Well Kumiko…we are going to get you all out of here but I was wondering if you would answer some questions first?"

"Why should I trust you?"

"Well I'm sure you all heard the alarm sound."

"Yeah."

"Well we are with the intruder from the announcement but the reason we have broken in here is to get rid of Ritsu and Nagisa."

"Really….?"

"Yeah; we are fighting because we think that the way they run this school is wrong and the way they treat the students is even worse." The girl then averted her gaze to the floor for a short moment before looking back at Ritsuka with pleading eyes.

"If all that is true…and you promise to help us…then I'll tell you anything you want to know." Ritsuka then gave the girl a small reassuring smile.

"I promise."

"Alright then…ask away."

"Well for starters…how many students are in here?"

"Nine."

"Nine?"

"Yeah…four pairs and me."

"Where is your partner?"

"I don't know…we were both put in here two months ago after our battle record started going downhill and one night after class, we refused to come back here so…they took him away from me. Now I have no idea where my Sacrifice is…I can't even hear him call anymore…" The girl then looked back at the floor and her ears fell flat. Ritsuka did his best to comfort her and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry…but we will find him. We are going to get all the students." This caused the girl to look up at him once again.

"I hope you succeed."

"We will. Now, what exactly have they done to all of you in here?"

"Well it all started a few months ago, Ritsu really began to crack down and said that the school would now have a remedial class for students struggling. We didn't think anything of it at first but then Faithless, the boys you were just talking to, got caught skipping classes too many times and professor Nagisa showed up to our class to personally take them out of our class to be put into remedial lessons. We didn't see them for two weeks after that. Then one day out of nowhere, my partner and I saw them in the hallway but both their tails had been docked. We asked them what happened and they told us all about how Nagisa cut Tetsuya's tail right in front of Eiji before cutting his tail too." Ritsuka was having a hard time stomaching all this but he did his best to keep his composure.

"But why is she doing this? What does she gain from it?"

"She says it is to mark us and keep everyone in line. This makes us all walking examples to everyone else of what happens when you break the rules or don't have a good enough battle record." Ritsuka then remained silent for a moment as he looked around the room at all of the frightened faces before turning to his Sentouki.

"Soubi, we need to get all of these kids out to Yuiko and Yayoi."

"I know but we need to keep moving forward. Do you think they can make it on their own?"

"I'm not sure…" Ritsuka then paused for a moment and thought on what to do before turning back to the girl in front of him. "Alright Kumiko, we have four people waiting in the courtyard for any students that we find. They are protecting everyone we send to them until we finish our plan. That will be the safest place for all of you but we have already encountered resistance in this building so I don't want to send you all by yourselves."

"Then why don't you guys take us to them?"

"We would but we have to keep finding other students. So I was wondering if you could help us."

"How?"

"Well if you think you can, I want you to go to the courtyard by yourself and find a pink haired girl named Yuiko. Tell her that we sent you and that you need the Zero's to follow you back here so they can escort everyone back outside. Do you think you could do that?" The girl was silent in thought for a short moment before speaking.

"I don't know…without my partner I don't know if I could make it. And what if we can't make it back for everyone else? What if these Ze-" The girl then stopped suddenly midsentence and her eyes grew wide and her ears perked up. "Wait…did you say that there are Zero's out there…? Here to help us…?" Ritsuka was slightly taken aback by this and answered with a curious inflection in his voice.

"Yes…do you know them?"

"Know them? Everyone here tells stories about them." Ritsuka then watched as the girl spoke with a newly found twinkle in her eye. "Two pairs, created by Nagisa…not only went against her will and escaped from here, but they all defied their very DNA to follow their own path. They did what none of us could." She then gave a large grin to Ritsuka before speaking in a new confident tone. "If the Zero's have come back for us, then I know we will make it out of here. I'll do it!" Ritsuka was happy to return her smile and was warmed at the girl's admiration.

"That's great Kumiko and I know you can make it."

"Well I am wicked fast on my feet and my Sacrifice had me practice fighting on auto by myself, just in case I ever needed to. So yeah, I think I can handle it." This caused Ritsuka great relief and he gave another warm smile.

"You'll do great. Just find Yuiko and get the Zero's here and then everything will be ok. Soubi and I will meet you all in the courtyard later." v

"Alright. And….thank you both for finding us. I can't tell you how much it means to us all." With that, the girl bolted out the door and off into the distance leaving Ritsuka with a determined smile on his face; feeling as though the more and more this mission pressed on, the more hopeful he became.

Meanwhile….

"Ugh…it's too quiet around here Natsuo, something weird is going on." The blue haired boy was now stopped in the middle of an abandoned hallway with the red head by his side.

"Yeah I guess it is a little weird that we haven't seen any other people yet, but all we have to do is find that crazy woman."

"You're right. Let's keep going, her lab is just around the corner."

The duo then continued on their way down the hallway before rounding a corner into another smaller hallway. They then slowly approached the large metal door that lay at the very end of the hallway. As they approached, they knew all too well what lay behind that door, they had been created there, trained there and had several times been locked away in there. It was these memories that drove them forward with not fear or anxiety, but pure anger and a thirst for blood. Unlike Ritsuka, the Zero boys wasted no time at all as they burst though the lab door, almost knocking it off its hinges. They then both boldly stepped inside the laboratory that was completely dark and silent. The silence caused them to tread forward lightly and cautiously, aiming to keep their wits about them. Youji, being a few steps in front of his partner, was the first one to make it past the threshold of the small decontamination area that lay in between the door and the rest of the lab. Once he placed a single foot past this threshold however, all the lights in the room flipped on simultaneously, bringing them face to face with the small blue haired woman that created them as well as two different battle pairs, one at each of her sides that they had never seen before.

"Well well, look who has come crawling back. Coming to the aid of your creator are you?" The small woman's voice was very clearly coy and it did nothing but infuriate the blue haired boy in front of her.

"You wish, you old hag." This caused the woman to cross her arms in a pouting manner.

"Well then what are you doing here?" Youji then gave a small smirk to his partner that was now right at his side before addressing the woman again.

"We are here to take you down. For good this time, once and for all." Nagisa broke out into a giggle at this bold statement.

"So…you have joined with Miss Kazuka then?"

"Well you know what they say: The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

"Well true as that may be, what makes you think you can take on all five of us? Surely you can't be that dimwitted."

"Oh we don't think we can take you all on….we know we can. Won't even break a sweat, huh Natsuo?" Youji then turned to his Sentouki with a smirk to see a smirk of his own on his partners face.

"Oh it'll be no problem at all." This finally roused a bit of anger from the small woman and she gained a pouty frown.

"Well I'm afraid you are mistaken, these four here are two of my top pairs and I have taught them your weaknesses. You don't stand a chance." This arrogant statement riled the blue haired boy up slightly and he took a small defiant step forward with a smirk.

"Just try us." Nagisa they out a long sigh in very obvious sarcasm before motioning to the battle pair to her left.

"Fine, have it your way. You two, take them down." The pair at her left side, a tall slender girl and a much shorter boy, both gave affirming nods before stepping forward to be in between Nagisa and the Zero boys.

"We declare this to be a battle of spells!" Natsuo then quickly leapt forward to make sure that Youji was safely behind before replying.

"We accept!" The new battle pair then clasped both their hands together before speaking.

"We are Restless. Never resting until we are the very best, number one." This caused Youji and Natsuo both to giggle slightly before simply taking one hand in the others.

"We are Zero. Zero pain, Zero fear, Zero damage and Zero failures." This then caused the battle radius to expand, consuming the entire lab including the small scientist and her other cohorts. As soon as the stage was set, Natsuo began at an astonishing speed.

" _Decimation! Tear the enemy to pieces!"_ This sent a brilliant white light racing toward the boy in front of them, causing them to finally learn who the Sacrifice of the pair was. As quick as the realization was made however, the girl's words began to fly and the battle quickly took on a fierce and furious tone and pace.

" _Dissolve! Deny the enemy attack!"_ The defense was not a strong one but it was just quick enough to keep her Sacrifice from harm as the attack dissolved away before reaching him. Natsuo was not fazed however but instead was determined to show Nagisa what they could really do. The girl then quickly began going on the offensive with a cocky smirk.

" _Absolute zero! Take away all warmth from this place!"_  As heavy snowflakes began to fall, Natsuo simply turned to Youji and they both giggled softly to each other before looking back at their opponents.

"She taught you are 'weaknesses' huh…? Too bad we don't have any anymore.  _Incinerate! Burn our enemy alive! And take with them this pesky snow!"_ Much to Nagisa's displeasure, the snow was quickly melted away by waves of fire that lit the air before striking Restless's Sacrifice in a wave of crackling flames. This attack earned Natsuo two restraints on the small boy who, much to his disgust hardly flinched but instead gave a nod to his Sentouki to continue.

" _Eradication! Wipe the enemy off the face of the earth!"_

" _Denied! Absolute safeguard! Surround and protect us with our very bond itself!"_ Nagisa's duo watched on slightly puzzled as a whirlwind of threads quickly shot from the ground and enveloped Youji and Natsuo in a glimmering transparent bubble that did not even falter slightly as the attack landed.

" _Absolute Carnage! Leave nothing left alive!"_ Natsuo's attack again came lightning fast but this time the girl was quicker and made a hasty defense.

" _Concealment! Absolute darkness! You cannot harm what you cannot see!"_  This did in fact cause the entire battle radius to become pitch black and eerily quiet. The last thing Natsuo saw was his attack fading away into nothing without making it to its mark. The short silence was quickly broken however by the sound of laughter, followed by Youji's voice.

"You see that Natsuo? They think we are afraid of the dark. Why don't you show them who should be afraid?" There was then a short pause form the boy before he again spoke to his Sentouki in a menacing voice. "Finish this." Natsuo then simply smirked in the darkness before speaking.

"The darkness may hide you from view…but it won't protect you…. _Endless Vacuum! Steal the very breath from their lungs!"_

This attack did not send out any beams of light or walls of flames but instead left an eerie silence for a short moment. Then suddenly and seemingly for no reason, the battle area collapsed upon itself, in a rather violent manner, to reveal that both of their opponents had collapsed onto the floor and were now unconscious. Natsuo then held his head high before speaking.

"Victory!"

This seemingly unexplainable defeat was finally enough to rile a bit of rage from the scientist and she was quick to place her hand firmly on her hips before shouting to the victors.

"Now what the hell was that?! I didn't teach you that!" Both boys laughed slightly at the woman's crumpled expression before Youji spoke to her in a boastful manner.

"Well I would think as a scientist you would know that the body needs oxygen to breathe; all we did was take the oxygen from their air. It's a brilliant spell really…Soubi taught it to us." This caused the blue haired woman to scoff in disgust.

"Figures that that teachers pet would have taught you something like that. It's definitely not something you could have learned by yourselves. This earned an angry expression from the red head.

"You have no idea what we are capable of on our own! Just because you created us, doesn't mean that you control our fate, our future or our bond!" The blue haired woman then simply brushed this retort off with a scoff.

"Yes yes, you were always the rebellious ones; but that is beside the point now. What matters now…is what your next move is." The woman then again crossed her arms in a confident manner with her usual smirk on her face and Youji was quick to reply.

"Well that's obvious…we are going to take down those two then you are next."

"You really think so huh….? Do you know who these two are?"

"No! Why the hell would we? And who cares anyway?" Nagisa then made a slight motion of her hand to signal the pair at her right side to step forward to be out of the shadows that they were previously standing on the edge of. This finally allowed Youji and Natsuo to get a good look at the last thing standing between them at their prize. Upon seeing their opponent, Youji let out an aggravated scoff before spouting off in an annoyed tone.

"Not you two…" This comment caused the tall dark skinned man in front of him to laugh slightly.

"It's good to see you again as well Zero….Ginka and I have missed our old sparring partners even after all this time." Youji seemed to completely ignore Kinka's reply and instead addressed Nagisa once again.

"Is this really your secret weapon? Sleepless? These two freaks have never been a match for us. You really have lost it you know." The blue haired woman was happy to respond in a confident tone.

"You forget how long you have been away Youji…Sleepless is now my top battle pair. They were even able to take down one of your predecessors just the other night." This finally stirred two shocked expressions from both Youji and Natsuo.

"These two are the ones who killed Ageless's Sacrifice?! H-how is that possible?" Kinka was more than happy to cut in to answer this.

"Well why don't just fight us and find out for yourselves." The snide tone of the man's voice was finally enough to rile Natsuo into challenging them.

"Bring it on loser! We declare-" The red head's words were abruptly interrupted however by the small scientist.

"Hold on just a second…it really would be a shame to see two of my favorite creations laid to waste like this. So I have an offer for you…" This only added to Natsuo's frustrations and he spat his reply in an angry tone.

"Even if we were afraid of them, what the hell could you possibly offer us?!"

"Well like I said…I really think you underestimate these two. That being said, I will allow you two to walk out of here unchallenged and unharmed and all I ask is for one small thing in return." This offer was very unlike Nagisa and it confused both boy's slightly and Youji was quick to question her.

"Ok even if we did want to walk away, as if we really would, what could we possibly have that you want?"

"All I want is her name." This was not at all what Youji expected to hear and he simply looked to his Sentouki baffled before turning back to Nagisa.

"Her name…?"

"Yes…Bondless, Miss Kazuka, all I want is her first name…and you can walk away from all of this right now." Again Youji turned to his Sentouki with a curious expression, only this time he gave a small nod and Natsuo rushed forward and took an offensive stance before speaking to the duo in front of him.

"We don't know what the hell you are up to but we would never give in to your insanity! We declare this to be a battle of spells! _"_ This in turn caused Nagisa to let out a slightly aggravated sigh before giving the approving nod to the duo just in front of her.

"We accept! _"_ Once the large dark battle radius expanded, Youji and Natsuo decided to skip the formalities and Natsuo began going on the offensive within a split second.

" _Rip! Rend! Tear the enemy to pieces!"_ Kinka gave a small laugh at this before extending a hand defiantly before defending.

" _Deny! Counter! We remain unharmed!"_ Natsuo became visibly more frustrated when his attack was merely flicked away by the taller man. He then watched on intensely waiting to respond at the very first sign of attack; which took only a few second.

" _Growth! Strangle! Bring forth the earth to suffocate the enemy!"_

Natsuo could then only watch on as the large thick vines that covered the outside of the school building, came bursting through the small windows of the lab and quickly latched onto his sacrifice. The red head simply gritted his teeth as two restraints appeared around Youji's wrists, knowing that he just wasn't fast enough and could now do nothing except attack. Before he could even open his mouth however, he was completely taken aback when Kinka began attacking again.

" _Tsunami! Suffocation! Pound the enemy with waves to take away his very breathe!"_ Despite his shock, Natsuo was quick to try and defend this time.

" _Denied! Conceal! No waves will reach here!"_ This defense quickly enveloped Youji in a clear bubble just before the rushing white cap waves came crashing down upon it. Natsuo was not yet relieved however as the waves continued to pound against his defense until all of his strength could no longer hold them back and the bubble shatter allowed the waves to consume his Sacrifice, gaining a thick neck restraint accompanied by two chains that pulled the boy to the ground.

"Youji!" Natsuo rushed over to his Sacrifice who was now coughing up small amounts of water from his lungs so that he could breathe once again. Once his lungs were clear, he silently stood in place before looking at the red head with a pained yet determined smile.

"I'm fine Natsuo…just don't let them get away with that." The red head gave an affirming nod before turning to their opponent once again.

"You two make me sick! You think you can just break the rules like that! It's disgraceful!" Kinka and Ginka both let out a sinister laugh.

"Since when are you two so high and mighty? In fact, I recall you two always being trouble makers…breaking rules all the time."

"We only break rules that don't matter, like ones put in place by society, or this school or that crazy woman; but never the rules of spell battles. That is more than a matter of rules and regulations…it is a matter of pride!"

"We do what we have to win." Natsuo could feel his rage building to a boiling point and he clenched his fists in anger upon making a startling realization.

"So….is that how you did it then…is that how you killed Ageless's Sacrifice?! By cheating?!"

"Well…we didn't exactly cheat that time. All we did was use the substitution spell so we technically didn't kill the boy either." Upon hearing this confession, Natsuo had a violent flashback to the first time he and Youji encountered their female counterparts and the first time they had been defeated… by that very same spell. This flashback lit a new fire in Natsuo's belly and his eyesight went completely red with a thirst for blood and the only sound that was heard was a deep growl from the red head before his words came flying with the speed and intensity of lightning.

" _Shatter! Incinerate! Concussing wind! Completely bombard the enemy! Leave nothing left but bone!"_

The intensity of the boy's voice alone was enough to scare everyone in the room, including his own Sacrifice. Kinka's cocky attitude then quickly melted away as the entire room began to shake while all of the glass beakers and test tubes rose into the air before shattered into thousands of pieces. He then watched on in shock and fear as massive walls of flames engulfed the shards, melting them and molding them all into razor sharp needles. Natsuo then boldly raised a firm hand that summoned an over powering wind that quickly sent the shards flying toward the dark haired girl across from them. This sight was finally enough to snap Kinka out of his daze to defend with a shaky voice.

" _Defense times one hundred! Deflection! Allow nothing to pass through!"_ This defense however was shattered effortlessly by Natsuo's rage filled attack and Kinka could then only watch in horror as the needles began piercing through his Sacrifice again again, each time taking with them large pieces of flesh and splashing blood onto the ground like rain.

"Aaahh!"

"Ginka!" Once the rain of needles had finally passed, the girl feel limply to the ground covered in six restraints that faded away almost as soon as they appeared and the battle field shook violently once more before shattering apart. Natsuo then gave a sinister grin before speaking.

"Victory…"

The dark skinned man then rushed to his Sacrifices side and quickly wrapped his arms around her and pulled her bloody body to his face to ensure, much to his relief, that she was still breathing. He remained there crumpled on the floor with her, blocking out everything else, while Nagisa began backing up nervously from her own creations. The small blue haired boy, now free of his restraints, walked calmly up to his Sentouki placed a gentle hand on his shoulder before speaking to him softly.

"Natsuo…that was amazing…how did you do that?" The soft sound of his partner's voice filled the red head with a cooling calmness that allowed him to let go of his rage and regain his composer before turning around and locking Youji in a tight hug.

"Don't worry about that. Are you ok?" Natsuo then released his partner to look at him with his usual happy expression.

"I'm fine Natsuo." Youji then paused for a moment as he caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye of the blue haired scientist attempting to sneak through a door in the back of the room. "I know somebody who is about to not be so ok though…"

This caused devilish smirks to cross both their faces as they both turned and began walking calmly toward the small woman, who had now stopped dead in her tracks knowing better than to try and escape at this point. By the time the two boys were only a few feet in front of the woman, she had herself backed up against the back wall of her lab with a very nervous expression on her face.

"Um…Youji….Natsuo…i-if it's any consolation, I'm quite proud of you both…that was very impressive." This sentiment however only earned her a harmony of sinister laughter before the blue haired by crossed his arms in a sarcastic manner as he spoke.

"You hear that Natsuo? She is proud of us."

"Well isn't that sweet. I'm so happy we could make you proud." The red heads voice was dripping in sarcasm and it was only a few seconds before they both burst out in laughter. This caused Nagisa to drop the desperation act and instead revert back to her normal fiery self.

"Alright fine! Geez…you can't blame a girl for trying." Youji then wiped away a small tear of laughter from his eye before replying.

"No I suppose we can't. Still funny as hell though." The woman then crossed her arms in a pouting manner at the boys mocking.

"Well…what are you going to do with me then?" This caused Youji to purse his lips and rolls his eyes as he thought.

"Hmmmm….what indeed. What do you think we should do with her Natsuo?"

"Well orders are to take her in alive….but that doesn't mean we can't have some fun first."

"My thoughts exactly." Youji gained another sinister grin before pinning the woman against the wall by her shoulders. "But there is one thing I'd like to know first…" Nagisa swallowed hard in fear before replying.

"Ask away."

"I find it curious that you were so willing to let us walk away in exchange something as simple as a name. So tell me…why do you want to know her name so badly?" This was indeed a source of interest to both boys and they each gained more serious expressions as they awaited an answer. Nagisa however, put on a small smirk before speaking in a calm and slightly condescending tone.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that." Youji half expected this answer and motioned to his Sentouki to grab an object from off of a table before grinning back to the woman. Nagisa's smile was then quickly wiped away as she saw Nagisa hand his partner a very large pair of scissors.

"Is that your final answer Miss Nagisa?" Despite her fear, Nagisa put on a brave face.

"Yes."

"Alright then." Natsuo then watched on in delight as Youji moved his hand from off of the woman's shoulder and up to grab both her bright blue pigtails in a tight fist. "If I remember correctly…you have always been quite fond of these girly locks. Am I right?" This caused the woman to sneer angrily at the boy.

"You wouldn't…." There was then a short silence followed by the sound of laughter and the distinctive sound of metal slicing through hair. Youji then grinned wildly as what was left of the woman's hair fell down and now only barely reached the top of her cheekbones. He then very dramatically dropped the handful of hair onto the floor in front of him.

"I just did." The woman then quickly gained a shocked expression and flew into a rage with tear filled eyes.

"You little brat! How dare you! Just leave me alone already!" This response was very pleasing to the boy's and it was only made better by the sight of the scientist dropping to the floor to helplessly weep over the pile of blue on the floor.

The room was then filled with the boy's laughter for a moment before everything went quiet, causing Nagisa to look up from the floor to face a frightening sight. She now found herself face to face with the blue haired boy, that had now kneeled down to be on her level, and the feeling of the cool metal of a scalpel pressed against the soft flesh of her red cheeks.

"We aren't done with you yet…"

"AAHHH!"

**TBC**


	43. Search and Seizure

"Yes! That makes six for us!" The short dark haired girl gave a quick high five to her busty blonde Sacrifice before turning to look ever her shoulder to address the duo standing behind them with their backs turned. "How about you Yayoi?" Upon hearing the girl's voice, Yayoi turned around with a grin to answer just as a battle radius collapsed around him.

"This makes seven for us. Looks like we are winning." Kouya then returned the boy's grin before doing a quick perimeter check and turning around to face him and his partner properly.

"Damn. How about double or nothing?" This caused Yayoi to laugh slightly as he took a few steps, with Yuiko right by his side, to be closer to the girls opposite him.

"You're on! We can take down more units than you no problem." Kouya then extended a friendly arm with a laugh and shook the boy's hand firmly.

"We will just have to see about that; we have quite a few years on you two after all." They all four ten shared a short laugh together as friends. The brief moment was soon cut short however when Yayoi noticed the large front doors of the main academy building begin to open slowly.

"Looks like we have more company guys." This caused Kouya and Yamato to both quickly turn around and immediately take offensive stances before the dark haired girl replied in a serious tone.

"Alright, time for the next round then. Stay behind us Limitless…and do try to keep up."

Yuiko and Yayoi did as they were told and took on a battle stance positioned strategically just behind the duo in front of them and waited for their next opponent to come through the doors. The cold night air quickly became deathly silent and the tension was furiously on the rise; so much so that the group were almost holding their breathe in anticipation. Once the doors finally flung open, they were all shocked to see not an opponent, but a thin dark haired girl emerge from the darkness of the doorway. The sight caused them all to drop their stances and wait to see what would unfold. Kouya especially watched on intently and was able to see that the girl was barely able to stand and was now almost limping her way towards them, looking as if she could barely support even her own small frame. Kouya's sharp eyes then saw the girl's knees finally buckle beneath her only a few yards in front of them, just beyond the front steps of the building, and she moved quick as lightning to catch the girl just before her body was able to hit the snow covered ground. Yamato and the others were quick to follow and gathered around Kouya who was now on her knees in the snow with the girl held safely in her arms. Kouya gave the girl a moment to collect herself before finally speaking to her.

"Hey there…are you ok? Are you injured?" The winded girl took another short moment to slow her fast and heavy breathing before replying to Kouya with her ears lying limply at the sides of her head.

"A-are you Zero?"

"Yes I am Zero. My name is Kouya and this is my Sacrifice Yamato; and these two are our friends Limitless, Yuiko and Yayoi." This seemed to bring a wave of relief to the exhausted girl.

"Thank god…I've been sent to find you. My name is Kumiko and I was sent by Ritsuka." This earned Kumiko a warm smile from the busty blonde who was now leaning down to be closer to her level.

"Well then you have been sent to the right place." Yamato then gestured for Kumiko to look over towards the far corner of the courtyard. Kumiko silently did as she was told and lifted her still weak head to see that there was a group of students gathered together there. She then let out a very long sigh of relief before turning back to address Kouya once more.

"I'm so happy I found you…"

"Are alone Kumiko?" The girl's ears then perked up slightly and she was suddenly filled with a burst of energy that caused her to leap to her feet abruptly, almost knocking Kouya over as she did.

"No! I'm not alone; well I am right this moment but Ritsuka and his Sentouki found me with four other battle pairs in the remedial dorm. They were all too scared or weak to make it here on their own, so Ritsuka told me to find you and show you the way to them so you can get them out."

"Remedial dorm? I don't ever recall having that around when we were here…" Kouya then finished brushing the snow from her pants before turning to talk to Yayoi. "Do you guys know anything about this?" Kouya then notice that Yayoi and Yuiko both had grown silent with frightened looks on their faces. Yuiko then, ignoring Kouya's question, took a few steps before suddenly throwing her arms around Kumiko with small tears in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry that you have been stuck in there…you are all safe now." Yuiko then released the girl who was trying to hold back tears of her own. Kouya then broke the silence with questions once more.

"Hey, would somebody tell us what's going on?" Yayoi then replied in a solemn tone.

"Not too long ago, Nagisa and Ritsu began remedial lessons for students who were falling behind. These students are moved into their own dorm and well…look at her tail…" Kouya and Yamato then watched as Kumiko willing turned around to show the small stub where her tail used to be; the sight causing Yamato to gasp loudly.

"Oh my god…I knew things had gotten bad but…I never thought they would do something like this." Kumiko then turned back around and averted her gaze to the ground for a moment before looking back up at Kouya with pleading eyes. The girl's silent plea was heard loud and clear by Kouya and she placed a gentle hand on the girls shoulder before speaking in a soft yet resolute tone.

"Let's go get them out of there."

Meanwhile…

Saiyuri was feverishly wandering the halls of the main academy building in search of the sadistic man that she had waited so long to capture. She had already checked every room in the building, including Ritsu's office that she had locked him into not too long ago. As she had thought however, he made quick work of the spell she cast on the door and was now seemingly nowhere to be found.

"Damn…he travels pretty fast for a blind man."

Her fruitless search was quickly irritating the small girl and she finally stopped in an empty hallway to catch her breath and think out her next move. She leaned up against one of the cool tile walls as she racked her brain thinking of all the places her target could possibly be. She could already rule out the building she was in and she thought that it was more than likely that he wouldn't be in the lab, considering that Youji and Natsuo had surely gotten there already to find Nagisa. She then thought that maybe he could have escaped from the premises somehow. She quickly pushed this thought out of her mind however, knowing all too well that Ritsu was never one to run from a fight; especially one that he had put so much time and effort into. After a few more minutes of thought, Saiyuri decided that the next logical place to look would be Ritsu's private quarters. The blonde then took a few more deep breathes before taking off down a hallway once again. Driven by her urge to make the man pay for his crimes, Saiyuri moved at lightning speed down a few hallways before bursting through the back door of the building and into the lush snow covered gardens. Thanks to Yayoi's blueprints, she knew exactly where she was heading and began making a beeline through the gardens towards the location of Ritsu's quarters that were nestled neatly within the trees just past the gardens. As she ran, her ears suddenly gave a small twitch when she heard the faint yet distinctive sound of footprints quickly approaching from behind her current position. Saiyuri was then determined not to be caught now that she was so close to her goal so she took great care not to let on that she was aware of another's presence as she slyly flipped her black hood up over head, allowing her to blend seamlessly into the night. She then waited until the perfect moment to leap effortlessly up into one of the surrounding trees. Now feeling confident that she was well hidden, she waited silently for her tail to show themselves. It wasn't long at all before a shadowy figure came into her line of sight. The very second that the figure came into view, she leapt out of the tree and pounced perfectly onto the figure below, pinning them down to the ground. With the mysterious figure captured, Saiyuri was fully ready to unleash her rage onto them but was stopped when she found herself looking down at what seemed like a regular student. The very tall yet slender boy beneath her was dressed in loose baggy jeans and a tight fitting dark blue sweatshirt. The boy was also looking right back at her with green eyes, a sour expression and light brown ears that were pressed back against his head in an angry manner. Regardless of the seemingly innocent person beneath her, Saiyuri quickly addressed the boy in an angry tone.

"Who are you?! Who are you taking orders from?!"

"Who the hell are you lady?!" Upon hearing the irritated, mature and yet high pitched voice, Saiyuri realized that it was an older girl that she captured, not a teenage boy like she had assumed. This was irrelevant however as Saiyuri only wanted answers and she wanted them quickly.

"Who I am is of no importance. Now if you don't want to get hurt, then tell me who you are working for and why you are following me!" This earned her a slight hiss from the taller girl before hearing a reply.

"I don't take orders from anyone, let alone work for anybody!" Saiyuri was quickly growing impatient and applied more force to the girl's fragile seeming shoulders causing her to wince just slightly.

"Then why are you following me huh?!"

"I'm not following you! After the alarm went off I just thought that the chaos was a perfect cover so that I could get away from this hell hole." Saiyuri thought very hard for a moment before tentatively decided that this person may be telling the truth and she let off some of the pressure of her shoulders.

"Well who are you?" The girl then hissed her reply with an annoyed tone.

"Well if you get off of me, I'll tell you." Again, Saiyuri thought for a moment and decided that it was probably safe to let her go, knowing that she could take this girl down if need be.

"Fine…"

Saiyuri then climbed off of the girl allowing her to stand to her feet. It was only then as the girl was brushing the snow off of her clothes that Saiyuri was able to get a good look at the girl. She was very tall, almost a foot taller than herself, her frame was small yet muscular and her tail was long and covered with fluffy brown fur that matched her hair color perfectly. Finally after a short moment of silence, the stranger looked at Saiyuri with a softer expression before speaking.

"Thank you. My name Ayame…and I am getting the hell out of here."

TBC


	44. Strays Side Story: Ayame

Hey, see that super cool, tall, handsome brunette boy over there leaning against the wall staring poetically out the window? Well that's not a boy, that's me. My name is Ayame Uchida, Aya for short, and I am currently a student here at the Seven Moons Academy, I'm also easily mistaken for a boy due to my clothes and my very short hair. I'm 23, I love kittens, reading and music…oh yeah and, I fucking hate it here. That's not incredibly uncommon around here though, a lot of the other students hate it too. The only ones that don't are the first years. They are all still so happy and full of hope. Most of them discovered their partners just before coming here to learn. Lucky little blindly blissful children, that's all they are; the illusion will shatter eventually. I, on the other hand, have been in this hell hole since I was I was eighteen…five long years trapped in this cage.

Why do I hate it here so much you ask? Well a lot of reasons really: I have a curfew at twenty three years old, there is always someone telling me what to do, the teacher here, Ritsu Minami, is a sadistic ass and…I'm all alone. You see, I'm a blank Sacrifice, I don't have a partner. Believe me though, it's not that I haven't tried being paired with a Sentouki, in fact I've been through too many to count; but none them have what it takes to be my Sentouki. They are all too…normal or weak. They are always trying to impress me with flashy moves or by fawning all over me, but really I just think it's pathetic. So they usually end up requesting a transfer on their own or I just ignore them until they do. God…they have all been such a pain. I mean…if any of them actually took the time to get to know me, they would see that I am so much more than a pretty face; there is so much more to me…but no one ever takes the time to look beneath the surface. It has even come to the point in recent years, that I have a constant entourage of girls and boys following me around. Some of them aren't even Sentouki! They all just come at me with the same lines over and over again, "Oh Aya-san, you are so handsome!" "Oh Aya you look so pretty today!" "Will you please eat lunch with me today Aya-chan?" Sometimes I even get a few arrogant Sentouki that try to make a pass at me, and there are even a couple of them that harass me constantly about taking my ears. I really can't stand it. Sure I may be a little old to still have my ears but that is my choice and everyone else can just deal with it. Once I find that once person though, that one special Sentouki who will be my perfect match, then I will surrender my ears to that person. But that doesn't seem to be happening anytime soon.

But perhaps I'm getting a little ahead of myself; I'm sure you are probably wondering how I came to be in this shitty situation. Well I had a relatively normal childhood; well maybe I wouldn't call it normal. I come from a broken home. My mother left us when I was young and I was left to be raised by my father. Everything seemed to be just fine, until I turned eighteen that is. The day of my eighteenth birthday, I got a letter in the mail from the Seven Moons Academy. When father and I first saw the letter in the mail we didn't really think anything of it, we thought maybe it was just another invitation to a college. When we opened the letter though, we quickly realized that it was indeed a school invitation but it wasn't to just any school. The letter mentioned things that neither one of us had ever heard of before, like battling, Sacrifices, Sentouki, and spells. At first my father played it off as some sort of prank but after reading the letter again by myself, I got a really weird feeling…like these words weren't foreign at all, they felt normal to me and I couldn't understand why. So the next day I decided to go check out the place on my own. I remember having to take three buses just to get there but when I first arrived, it seemed almost worth it. I walked up to the large gates and saw crowds of people all standing around and laughing together and it made me smile a little. It had felt like such a long time since I graduated high school and left all my grade school friends behind so in that moment I had no idea what this place was but I felt like I wanted to be a part of it. Thinking back on that moment now…I wish I would have thought twice. But anyway, after I made it inside the building it wasn't long before a staff member approached me; he introduced himself as 'The Teacher', Ritsu Minami. I was taken a little by surprise by the fact that the man looked not too much older than I was but none the less I introduced myself politely and told him that I had received a letter about attending the school. He then put on what seemed like the most genuine smile, I'll never forget it, and he asked me kindly to join him in his office and he would explain everything and answer any questions I had. Naturally, I followed him without question, being completely driven by my curiosity and the unshakable feeling of belonging that this place filled me with.

Once I arrived in Ritsu sensei's rather large office, he asked me to sit down and I did so while he took a seat at his desk opposite me. He then proceeded to tell me what the academy did and why I was sent that letter. That is when I learned what I really was and why I felt drawn to people like me. I was fascinated by every word that he was saying and by the time he was done speaking he had already answered all of my questions; well all but one. He had gone on and on about Sentouki's and Sacrifices and the bond they share and what their roles are but what I still didn't understand was what it meant that I was a blank Sacrifice. I mean I was more than happy about being a Sacrifice considering the fact that I really hate being told what to do, so the idea of giving orders rather than receiving them was nice. But I had to ask him about the part about me being blank and what that meant for me and my future. When I asked, he told me that no one is really sure how our true names are decided or why blanks are born into the world but what he did know is that blanks are a valuable asset. He then tried to comfort me in a way, as if this was bad news to me. Even the calm and collected Ritsu was then a little thrown off when I told him that I didn't feel as though being a blank was a bad thing. It means that I get to choose my partner and control my own destiny, which is something that I have always longed for. He merely chuckled at this and commended me for my commitment to accepting what I was. We then carried on with small details about life at the academy and what my future would be like there. When all was said and done, he then asked me to go home and give some good thought into attending the academy and that I would make an excellent student. So just like that, I left the same way I came: out the door, through the courtyard and onto three buses to get home now armed with incredible knowledge about myself and left with a very hard decision to make. As I made my way off the last bus and began the short walk to the home I shared with my father, I was hit with an incredible sinking feeling in my gut. I suddenly thought about what my father would think of all this; would he even believe me? I honestly had no idea what I was going to do but what I did know, was that I wanted to attend the Seven Moons Academy and I wanted to be a great Sacrifice so that I could become a legend. So later that night I finally told my father about everything I had learned that day and well…let's just say he didn't take it very well. He completely flipped out on me and went on and on about how I must have brain washed and that things like that weren't possible. I begged him to hear me out and let me explain that I couldn't change who or what I was and that the academy was the best place for me. I begged him to let me go. Finally after hours of yelling and fighting, he stopped suddenly and it seemed like something died within him and he told me that I was more than welcome to go and study at 'that place', but if I choose that path…I would never be welcome in his home again and he would deny me for the rest of his life. I'll never forget the feeling of those words; it was an overwhelming mix of anger and pain that still haunts my dreams from time to time. In the end, I made the decision that I thought was best for me…and I left my father's house that night and haven't gone back since.

So that is how I ended up in this god awful place. I didn't hate it here at first though, in fact I loved it. For the first time since my childhood I felt like I belonged somewhere. I made friends quickly, I settled into my quarters nicely and even really enjoyed all my classes. In fact, my entire first year seemed like something out of a dream; but then my second year came along and everything changed. My classes started to really piss me off, my friends all turned out to just be hanging around me because I was cute, and that's when we got that strange new professor. Every day since then has been hell and the worst part is, I can't leave…I have nowhere to go. Even if I did have somewhere to go, that damn Ritsu won't let me leave, he says I have too much potential. But I'm honestly just about fed up with this place! I'm tired of all the useless Sentouki I keep getting paired with, I'm sick of all the fake people just following orders blindly, and I'm sick as hell of being told what to do!

That's why I've been secretly planning on getting the hell out of here. I've tried escaping once before but it didn't take the search team long to find me and drag me back. But I really think I am on to something this time…I think I finally figured out how to escape this place. You see there is this secret….shit….guess that's the end of my story for now.

I have to go…that Nagisa is coming for me again.

 

* * *

 

 


	45. The Hunt

"So…Ayame, you are just running away then?"

Saiyuri crossed her arms in a disapproving manner at the tall skinny girl in front of her, who only looked back at her with a grimace.

"Yeah I am. What's it to you?"

"What's it to me? Well it's a lot to me. There are two sides at war here, one who stands with Ritsu and one that stands against him; and the side you're on means a world of difference to me. Either way however, simply running away isn't an option." This statement caused the taller girl to place her hands defiantly at her hips.

"First of all I'm on no one's side but my own, granted I'd be more than content if that Ritsu died a very painful death. Secondly, running is most definitely an option. In fact watch, here I go now!" The slender figure then made a sharp one eighty to turn her back to the smaller girl but before she could begin walking she was stopped by a strong pull on the hood of her sweatshirt that yanked her backwards and down onto the ground on her back. Ayame then looked up with an angry expression into an equally angry one looking down at her.

"So then you're ok with just walking away? Leaving all of your classmates behind?" The girl on the ground then hissed slightly before replying to the girl that was leaning over her.

"Yeah! Those people back there have never done anything for me but annoy me and make my life hell. So tell me, why should I care about them let alone stick around, like I could even do anything." This earned the girl a sudden firm flick to the forehead from the blonde looking down at her. "Ow!"

"You must be really thick in the head. It isn't about who does what for you and what you do for them. It's about a shared fate idiot!"

"Pssh! Shows what you know. I don't have a shared fate. I'm blank in case you haven't noticed; I don't do the whole bond thing. I don't even have friends. It's just me and I watch out for number one that's it." This earned her another flick to the forehead.

"Ow! Quit it!"

"Idiot! Are you not still a member of the community? Blank or not, you are part of the world of spells correct?"

"I suppose…"

"That's right! That means that the things that happen here do affect you in some way, be it now or in the future. In fact the battle that is happening right now, that you are running away from, that other people are fighting and dying for, will shape the future of the world as we know it." Ayame then simply rolled her eyes at the small girl.

"That's all well and fine but like I said…I don't owe anyone anything. I feel no bonds to anyone or this place, so I don't care what happens. I'm leaving. There is nothing and…no one…here for me to fight for." Saiyuri then let out a long sigh before standing up straight with her hands on her hips before replying.

"Is that your final answer then Ayame?"

"Yes it is."

"Fine. Then you are free to run away, I won't stop you."

"Thank you." Saiyuri then leaned over once more and leaned down to be closer to the other girls face.

"But before you go…let me tell you something. My name is Bondless, one that shares no bond. I was born without a Sacrifice, without a partner. Then my parents were killed and I was left all alone in this world, no one to fight for and no one to fight for me…but I'm not running Ayame. I am here risking my life and the lives of my friends for people I have never even met because it is the right thing to do, because even though I am bondless I have a bond and a duty to everyone that lives in our world. As long as there is air in my lungs, I will fight for what is right; because whether you are Sentouki or Sacrifice, we fight for honor, integrity and justice. 'Cause you know at the end of the day, we are all the same and if we don't stand up for each other….then who will?"

Saiyuri then stood up and took a large step over the girl on the ground and began to walk away. She then stopped to flip up her hood and gave the girl one last glance from over her shoulder before quickly disappearing into the darkness of the tree tops, leaving Ayame stunned and silent on the ground.

"Crazy woman…."

Saiyuri did her best to put the strange runaway out of her mind and focus at the task at hand as she leapt and darted through the tree tops. As much as she would have liked to drag the girl back onto a clear path, she knew all too well that finding Ritsu was the most important thing for her to do, so she pressed on still full of determination. The blonde continued on her way until she came across a small clearing in the trees and in the very middle, she saw a small building nestled in the clearing. At last she felt as though her long awaited victory was close at hand, feeling in her gut that there was no other place that the sadistic teacher could be hiding. It was this feeling however that led her to proceed with extreme caution, knowing all too well what the man was capable of, even being blind. With a vague plan set out in her mind, Saiyuri took in a deep breath before leaping from the tree tops and landing on the snow covered ground without a sound. As she crept slowly towards the small house she first noticed that there were no lights shining through any of the windows but she then noticed that the front door was left slightly ajar, causing her to think that Ritsu was for sure hiding somewhere inside. After another deep breath the small blonde slowly pushed open the door and took a few silent steps inside into the darkness, making sure to keep all of her senses on high alert. The darkness had always been her ally but she was now preparing to face an enemy who lived in the darkness just as much as she did and she knew it would take all of her cunning and skill to achieve her goal. Saiyuri pressed further into the small house with great care and deadly silence until suddenly out of the dark silence she heard that familiar voice and she immediately leapt flawlessly up into the wooden rafters of the ceiling so as not to be taken by surprise.

"We meet again Miss Kazuka."

"Wish I could say I'm happy to see you again…oh wait, no I don't." This caused the man to chuckle slightly, just as Saiyuri had wanted, making it far too easy for her to pinpoint his location. Even in the pitch black; she traced the source of the sound to a spot a few yards straight in front of and below her.

"You did inherit your mother's wit, I'll give you that."

"Don't you dare speak of my mother!"

"Oh….hit a nerve did I?"

"Don't mock me you monster."

"Name calling Miss Kazuka? Aren't we a little old for that now?"

"Well why you don't you come out and face me then coward?"

"I could say the same to you. But is this really a fair fight? I'm unarmed after all."

"Only because you were careless and got your Sentouki killed. Honestly I'd say it is more than fair. One on one… besides we both know what you are capable of even on your own."

"Fine then…have it your way. Shall we do this nice and proper then?"

"Yes, let's." Saiyuri then grinned widely in the darkness as she awaited the words she longed to hear from the forked tongue of the Teachers mouth.

"I declare this to be a battle of spells!" Saiyuri then jumped down from her perch to land only a yard or two in front of Ritsu and spoke with true joy in her voice.

"So it's true then…The great Ritsu, the Sacrifice who has the ability to cast spells of his own. Brilliant….you are one of a kind I'm sure. It just might be a shame to kill you…but none the less, I accept!"

With those words an immense battle radius exploded around them consuming the entire house, shaking it as it did, and with the battle field finally came light to illuminate the two foes. They both remained still and silent for a moment, bracing for battle, and Saiyuri was the first to go on the offensive with nothing held back.

" _Absolute destruction! Nothing will remain!"_

" _Negate! Cancel out all attacks."_ Much to her distress, Ritsu's defense came before Saiyuri's attack even had a chance to materialize and it was with equal speed that his counter came.

" _Electrify! Charge the air and turn my enemy to dust!"_ Saiyuri's eyes then darted around to find the source of the oncoming attack and found it right above her in the form of blue bolts gathering in the ceiling. She then quickly raised her hands in defiance before defending.

" _Deflect! Turn away the lightning to fade to nothing!"_ Her defense was just quick enough to surround her right before the lightning struck and it was quickly absorbed before being deflected away.

"You are quicker than even I expected…"

"You should spend less time talking and more time defending… _Desolation! Churn the earth to shake the tyrant from his thrown!"_ The ground beneath the battle field then began to shake violently beneath the man's feet causing him to falter only for a moment, but his defense came in time to save him from the falling rafters.

" _Defense times ten! No damage will be taken!"_ Saiyuri couldn't help but to grit her teeth in anger as she braced for the next attack.

"Your defenses are strong at least…a sign of your cowardice." Ritsu merely smirked at this remark before attacking.

" _Towering Inferno! Burn this orphaned child to dust!"_ Saiyuri let out an aggravated growl at these words, knowing that Ritsu was no longer toying with her and was now using advanced spells.

" _Angelic force! These wings will shield me from the flames!"_ Ritsu was genuinely intrigued to hear this accompanied by the sound of two large black feathered wings quickly that emerged and wrapped around the small girl. He then grinned wickedly as the huge crackling flames smashed against with enough force to not only pry them open but to burn each feather into dust that scattered around the area.

"Ah! Nn…D-damn…" Once the ashes settled it was clear to see the two shinning restraints that had clamped down tightly around the girls small wrists. She didn't allow the pain to hold her back however but instead only drove her forward with an even fiercer fury.

" _Tsunami! Bring forth the wind and rain to feed the waves and wash away this filth!"_ Ritsu could then hear the distinct sound of rushing water but could not see the overwhelming height and speed of the waves rushing towards him.

" _Denied! Your waves are useless!"_ Saiyuri then couldn't help but to grin and the waves crashed through his defense and landed straight upon him. She was slightly displeased however when she saw that the attack earned her only one restraint around one of the man's wrists.

"I am impressed…but let's test that speed of yours shall we?"

"Give me all you got!"

" _Shatter! Swirling winds! Gather to bombard the enemy!"_ The small blonde then watched on calmly as all the windows of the small house shattered into pieces before being swept together in a fierce whirlwind. The tornado of glass then rushed towards her at astounding speed but she held her ground until the very last possible moment.

" _Maximum reflection! Damage taken is zero! Turn the attack back upon my enemy tenfold!"_ These words finally caused a truly shocked expression to cross Ritsu's face and Saiyuri was thrilled that he had no time at to defend and she watched on joyously as the attack reflected and landed back on the man. The attack gained him a restraint on his other wrist as well as a thick collar attached to a long chain causing Ritsu to choke slightly and grit his teeth.

"Just accept it Ritsu…you are still a Sacrifice, your spells could never measure to mine when you are on your own."

"We will see about that…I'm not finished with you yet, and I am done with this little game."

"Well end it then! If you can…"

" _Complete Annihilation!_ _Rain down Hell's fury upon this pesky brat! Leaving nothing left alive!"_ Saiyuri's eyes hen grew wide as the entire house began to shake, the ceiling cracked and it seemed that the very sky tore open as it turned blood red and churned like a furious sea. The very sight of it sent chills down her spine and for the first time in her life she wasn't sure if she had any chance of defense. Just when it seemed hopeless however, a ripple spread out across the bubble of the battle radius and Saiyuri whipped around to find the cause of the ripple. She was in complete shock when she saw the ripple was caused by a tall thin brunette running into the battle field. She then quickly averted her gaze back up to the sky to see that Ritsu's attack was still coming right for her. All she could do at that point was turn back to the girl in a panic.

"Ayame what are you doing idiot?! Get out of here now!" Much to her surprise the girl ignored her warning and ran over to her and quickly wrapped her arms around the small blonde.

"No! I've seen what that man can do when he is angry. I can't let you take the damage alone!" Saiyuri then became frantic as her small window of time for defense passed her by and there was now no escape from the red fury that was about to rain upon them.

"Ayame I can handle it! Just get out of here!"

"I said no damn it!" Saiyuri then felt the girl tighten her grip on her before turning her head to look at Ritsu. "My name is Ayame Uchida and I will take the damage for Bondless!"

"Fool…"

Both girls then looked up once more before bracing themselves for impact. Saiyuri could then only watch on helplessly as Ayame shoved her away at the last moment and took a direct hit from the attack. It was then only a matter of second before the girl was completely restrained.

"Ahh!"

"Victory!" Ayame then collapsed to the ground unconscious as the battle radius faded away taking the restraints with it. With the battle finished Saiyuri quickly wrapped the taller girl in her arms before turning to Ritsu with a scowl.

"You really are a monster!"

"It's not my fault that a useless blank got in the way."

"Shut up! Her name is Ayame and she is not useless!" Saiyuri then gently laid the girl back on the floor before standing to address the man with a rage filled tone. "Ritsu…I swear if it's the last thing I do…if I have to give my very last breath…I will stop you! I will take away everything you love like you have done to so many others!" The tall man cracked a wicked smile at this before taking a small step forward to be closer to the small blonde.

"I highly doubt that you have the capability Miss Kazuka. Your parents tried to defy me and look how far that got them."

"I said don't you dare speak of them!"

"Temper temper. Maybe it is your temper and your desire for revenge that makes you blinder than me."

"What the hell are you talking about?!"

"Heh…you really think I wouldn't have a plan B?"

"You're lying!"

"Really?" There was then an eerie pause before the man spoke once more. " _Sacred Seal. Seal this place completely. Leave no escape."_ Saiyuri then looked around franticly as everything began to dark as all the windows and doors began to disappear from the small house. She then let out a low growl before running back to the limp body on the floor and wrapping her arms back around the unconscious girl.

"Damn you Ritsu…you are clever. But not as clever as me. Make no mistake however…this isn't over."

"You can't escape now. It's too late." Saiyuri then slyly flipped up the hood of her beloved sweatshirt before smirking to the man across the room.

"Shows what you know…. _Angels wings. Take us safely away from this place and away from the darkness."_ With those words, two large black wings emerged from the girl's back and wrapped around both her and the girl in her arms before vanishing completely with them both safely inside a cocoon of black feathers, leaving Ritsu once again alone and empty handed.

"Well played Miss Kazuka…well played."

TBC

 

 

* * *

 

 


	46. The Trial of Nagisa Sagan

"Hey Soubi! You find anything?"

Ritsuka called to his partner and it was only a matter of seconds before the blonde poked his head out from the room that he was searching to respond.

"No."

"Me either. I guess that's the last of them then."

"It would seem so." Soubi then made his way to join Ritsuka in the middle of yet another abandoned hallway. The duo had just finished the last of the rooms in the entire building and were now taking a short moment to catch their breath and plan their next move. After only a short moment of thought Ritsuka looked up at his partner with a stern expression.

"Well…I guess we should go join the others then."

"Agreed."

"Alright, let's get going. I'm really worried about the others."

Ritsuka then began walking at a rather brisk pace with Soubi very close in toe. As Ritsuka navigated his way through the empty corridors and abandoned rooms, he couldn't help but to let his mind wander and quickly latch onto thoughts of worry. He was soon consumed with fears of how his friends were doing; in this moment he felt so disconnected from them and that scared him more than anything. He was quickly reassured however by the comforting feeling of Soubi's large hand patting him gently on the top of the head causing him to smile up at the blonde. Ritsuka then did his best to push all his fears aside and was now focused on the mission at hand. With new resolve it was only a few short minutes before Soubi and Ritsuka were making their way out of a small exit door on the side of the building. Soubi exited the building first and allowed Ritsuka to follow only after he was sure that the coast was clear. With their safety assured, Soubi led the away around to the front of the large main building. Ritsuka was more than anxious to check and his friends so he quickly rushed forward in front of the blonde and he dashed around the corner just in time to see Yuiko and Yayoi defeat yet another battle pair to add to the growing pile of unconscious bodies on the edge of the large courtyard. The sight brought great relief to the small boy but that relief was nothing compared to the rush of joy when he say Kumiko waving to him fervently from across the courtyard where he could also make out the small group of remedial students behind her. Ritsuka then ran across the courtyard with a smile and the tall blonde right on his heels, until he reached the waving girl and he quickly threw his arms around her in a tight hug.

"Kumiko! I'm so glad that you all made it out ok." Ritsuka then released the girl from his grasp to allow her to reply.

"Yeah Yamato and Kouya got us out in no time at all."

"That's great to hear. Is everyone ok?" The small girl then glanced over her shoulder to the still very timid group huddled in front of some bushes, before turning back with a warm smile.

"Yeah, we are all fine. Luckily we didn't run into anyone on our way out. They are all still kind of shaken up but they will come around."

"Thank goodness." The familiar sound of Ritsuka's voice finally caught the ears of his friends and Yuiko, Yayoi and the Zero girls all rushed over to greet him.

"Ritsuka!" The busty pink haired girl was quick to through her arms desperately around her small friend.

"Hey Yuiko. How is everything going out here?"

"Oh it's been fine! There are an awful lot of people trying to stop us though; but we have all been able to stop them just fine." Ritsuka then gave a warm smile before turning to Yamato who was now ruffling his hair with a grin.

"And how about you two?"

"It's been a piece of cake. I think all of this is really doing wonders for Kouya's temper."

The friends all shared a laugh together at this in the slimmer of peace that had fallen on the courtyard for the first time in hours. For that brief moment all seemed somewhat normal, like nothing had even happened, but that peace was quickly shattered when out of nowhere, a burst of black feathers came flying from the center of the courtyard. The sudden action caused all the Sentouki's reflexes to kick in and they all quickly latched onto their Sacrifices and hid them all away behind their backs. It wasn't long at all before Ritsuka caught a glimpse of blonde hair amidst the feathers and roughly pushed by Soubi once he realized that it was Saiyuri that had suddenly appeared and that she was holding in her arms a limp body that he had never seen before. Ritsuka quickly rushed toward the girl sitting in the middle of the yard and was followed closely behind by his entire group of friends, with the exception of Kumiko who was told to stay behind by the Zero girls. Once he reached the blonde, Ritsuka fell to his knees beside her while the others gathered around to make a safe perimeter.

"Saiyuri?! What happened?! Are you okay?!" The girl was breathing heavily and took a short moment to catch her breath before speaking in a panicked voice.

"I was chasing Ritsu and I ran into this girl, she is a student here, she was trying to run away and I let her go to find Ritsu. I found him in his cabin but he ambushed me and I tried to battle him on my own and I was in a bad way then out of nowhere she rushed in and took all my damage."

"What?!" Ritsuka then watched on as Saiyuri took the unconscious girls slender face in her hands and began trying to shake her awake.

"Ayame! Wake up damnit! You can't do this, not now!" The girls efforts were in vein however as the other girl simply laid in her arms unresponsive. Ritsuka then looked up to his Sentouki with a look of desperation.

"Soubi do something!" Soubi's expression remained calm, much to Ritsuka's dismay.

"There is nothing I can do. Ritsu's spells are powerful, there is no telling whether she will wake up." Upon hearing this Saiyuri became more panicked and began to allow small tears to well up in her eyes.

"You have to wake up Ayame!" Silence then fell over the area as everyone waited on baited breathe. The silence was then broken by small coughs and a raspy voice from this new figure.

"Stop…telling me what to do." The sound was soon accompanied by eyes flickering open and Saiyuri was filled with relief as she pressed the girl's body to her own in a tight hug.

"Thank god…" The blonde was then very quick to release the slender figure only to deliver a firm smack to the back of her head.

"Ow! What the hell was that for?!"

"That is for being reckless. What were you thinking jumping in like that?!" The short haired brunette then sat up in the snow while rubbing the back of her head before replying to the blonde with a grimace.

"I don't know! I guess I was thinking that it's my job I guess, to take damage for someone; I may be blank but I am a Sacrifice after all." The blonde then leaned forward to catch the girls small frame in another, more tender hug.

"Thank you…" The brunette was slightly flustered by this but managed to come up with a reply.

"Yeah…um you're welcome." Saiyuri then quickly remembered that they were in fact surrounded by people and proceeded to rise to her feet and brush herself off before speaking.

"Hi guys! This is Ayame." The brunette also stood to her feet and straightened her shirt before putting her hands coolly in the pockets of her baggy jeans.

"Hey."

"Ayame, this is Ritsuka and his Sentouki Soubi, Yuiko and Yayoi, and Yamato and Kouya." The group all gave their hellos and some shook the girls small hand.

"Nice to meet all of you. Good job with the whole hostile takeover thing. Seems to be going pretty well so far, you got all the higher ups all good and flustered anyway." Ritsuka was more than intrigued by this seemingly nonchalant comment and was quick to inquire further.

"What do you mean?"

"Well before I left, I overheard some of the guards in the hallways. They said that the building was going under security level one, which is like apocalypse mode. The last place this place was attack by Beloved, they only put us on security level three and look what happened to Ritsu. So they must think that they are in some serious trouble." This caused a rather satisfied grin to cross Ritsuka's face before he replied in a very smug tone.

"Good, they should be scared." This caused Ayame to laugh slightly and cross her arms in a condescending manner.

"Oh yeah? You a real tough guy there shorty? Don't get too cocky, regardless of the security level Ritsu is a hard man to crack. I mean that Beloved guy was a real evil bastard and even he couldn't break Ritsu in the long run." This only caused Ritsuka to grin wider.

"My brother has nothing on me." This statement was enough to shake the girl's cool demeanor.

"Brother?"

"Yeah. Seimei was my brother and I have something he never had."

"And what's that?"

"Friends." With that last statement, Ritsuka had shifted his tone to a very stern one that not even Ayame could mock.

"Well…we will just see then."

"Yes we will."

The atmosphere around the small group then began to settle to a slightly more relaxed one as they all took advantage of yet another peaceful moment to try to get to know this new person as well as catch up with each other on what was going on. As the chatter began to slow, the group began to plan out their next move until again their peace was broken when the large double doors at the front of main building suddenly flung open violently. Everyone then quickly took defensive stances as they waited anxiously for whatever was about to come at them from inside the building. It was a very tense moment among the whole group until a few shadow figure began to emerge from the darkness. They then quickly dropped their guards when they saw that it wasn't an enemy, but Youji and Natsuo emerging from the building with Nagisa firmly in their custody. Saiyuri was all smiles at this sight and had on a large grin and the blue haired boy called out to her.

"Hey leader-san! We have something for you!" The duo then made their way down the stairs and through the courtyard until they reached the grinning blonde with their captive drug behind them by the collar of her now bloody shirt.

"Well well…you have done a great job boys."

"Thanks leader-san. She put up a bit of a fight but it was nothing we couldn't handle. Had to punish her a bit though."

"Well you have held up your deal and brought her alive, that's the important think. But…why are you calling me that?"

"Well see that's the weird part…after we defeated her, she offered to let us go free in exchange for only your first name." Saiyuri gave a curious expression at this before leaning down to talk to the professor who was now on her knees.

"Is that so? Tell me professor, what do you want with my name? Why does it matter? And better yet, why could you not find it on your own?"

"I'm not telling you anything." This comment earned the woman a swift hard knee to the stomach from the small blonde.

"I suggest you be a little more cooperative." Nagisa proceeded to cough up a small amount of blood onto the pale white snow before spitting her reply.

"It matters. And I haven't been able to find it because your snake of a mother destroyed all records of you just before I could get them." Saiyuri gave a scowl at this and grabbed the woman by what was left of her blue locks and pulled her up to her feet by them, causing her to wince in pain.

"It is very bad to speak ill of the dead you know." Despite her situation, Nagisa remained stubborn and uncooperative.

"I'll see that you join them if it's the last thing I do."

"We will just see about that…"

Saiyuri then pulled the woman by her hair all the way across the courtyard and up to the top of the front steps at a quick pace that left Nagisa half limping behind her. Once they were perched at the top of the stairs, Saiyuri took a brief moment to let her eyes scan the area and take a good look at the people gathered there. The faces she saw, the ones she knew and the ones she didn't, were all bruised and some bloodied but she could see a certain light about them all. She wasn't sure if this was adrenaline, fear or even hope but she knew she had to have faith. After a moment the blonde took a deep breath before pushing Nagisa back down to her knees in front of her and addressing the crowd before her.

"Attention students!" She then paused for a moment to make sure she had their attention, and took a second to shoot Nagisa a determined glance before continuing. "My name is Saiyuri Kazuka, and I am Bondless. With the help of my friends, I am the one who has caused all of this chaos tonight. I am just another person like you all, and like you I have been victimized by this woman and her master. I stand before you now simply as someone trying to right some of the wrong in this world. This is my gift for you: I give to you now Nagisa Sagan of the Seven Moons academy, here to stand trial for the crimes of treason, murder and countless other crimes against you and humanity…crimes punishable by death." Saiyuri then paused once again as whispers began to flare through the crowd of students huddled together in the snow. "All I ask is that you speak up now and use your voice to pass judgment on those who have wronged you. Whatever your verdict may be, I swear to you that I will uphold your justice. So what do you say?" Saiyuri then remained silent with a stern expression for what felt like an eternity until a few timid voices began to ring through the crowd.

"Guilty."

"Guilty…"

"Guilty!"

The blonde cracked a small grin as the guilty verdicts came in more and more frequently and she took even more joy in the panicked expression on the scientists face. The blonde then looked over to where her friends were standing to see that they were smiling up at her with approving nods. Then through the murmurs of the crowd, Saiyuri was surprised to hear Nagisa's weak voice cross her ears. She quickly looking down to see the woman, still coughing up blood, was making a weak attempt to call out to the Zero girls that were standing with the others in front of the steps.

"Kouya…you can't let them do this, after everything I have done for you." This comment caused a fierce scowl to cross Kouya's lips and she took a few steps to be right in front of the woman.

"Everything you have done for me? All you ever did was try to take Yamato away from me."

"I was only doing what was best for you."

"And now I'm doing what is best for me and Yamato." Kouya then walked way to be back by Yamato's side where she belonged. With this attempt failed, Nagisa turned her gaze to the Zero boys on the edge of the group. Before she could even squeak out a word however, the fiery blue haired boy crossed his arms with a wicked grin.

"Don't even try it you old hag. We have never liked you, do you really think we are going to run to your side now? Especially after that cure little thing you did with our ears; we are still pissed about that." This caused a small growl to escape from Nagisa's throat as her impending doom became more apparent.

"Ungrateful brats…" Just as Nagisa was denied once more, the last of the voices rose up all with the same verdict and it was another short moment before the voices had faded and Saiyuri spoke once again.

"Well then…by anonymous vote, I find Nagisa Sagan guilty as charged and sentence her to death. Does anyone have anything to say on behalf of the condemned?" The blonde then waited patiently for a short moment but was pleased to hear only silence. She then have a wicked grin before sliding one of her hands up the long sleeve of the other arm of her sweatshirt and pulled from it a short black feather shaped blade. She then leaned down slightly to speak to Nagisa as she pressed the blade against her throat.

"Well it looks like everyone had abandoned you Nagisa…any last words?"

"Yes."

"Speak them now then, it's your last chance." There was then a short pause before Nagisa weakly lifted her head to speak.

"Target acquired."

"What?!"

A huge gust of wind then blew across the courtyard, kicking up a large amount of snow that caused the blonde to shield her face. She was then in a state of complete shock when she felt something grab a hold of her wrist and hold it and the blade high above her own head. She was then mortified to look up and see that it Ritsu that was now standing behind her with a grin.

"Hello again…Saiyuri Kazuka."

**TBC**

 

 


End file.
